Thunderstorms Blamed for Des Moines Fires
Authorities say three house fires in Des Moines, Iowa, were all caused by weekend thunderstorms.
The Des Moines Register reports that lightning strikes triggered fires at two homes in Johnston and one in Clive.
The Johnston fires were triggered at houses across the street from one another. Johnston Fire Chief Jim Krohse says both involved ruptured gas lines, but no one was injured.
In Clive, a lightning strike was blamed for an attic fire that caused damage estimated at $20,000. No injuries were reported.
The blazes were reported as the weekend threat of tornadoes subsided. Storms that moved through Iowa late Friday and early Saturday shed up to 2 inches of rain in the southern part of the state.
Copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Popular Today
- Anxiety Over Gas Prices Points to ‘Looming EV Comeback’ in US
- Report: Property Claims Face Delays, Are Growing More Complex
- Will California’s New Smoke Claims Law Create a Recovery Bottleneck?
- Don’t Sweat the Heatwave, El Niño Is Cooking up Some Raucous Weather for California
Popular This Month
- The Nation’s Insurance Laboratory: What Liability Trends in California Mean for the Rest of the Country
- The Great Hemp Reset: How the Federal Ban on Intoxicating Hemp Products Will Reshape Risk and Coverage
- Apollo’s Rowan Blasts Regulators for Handling of Walter Insurers
- Torrential Rain Brings Deadly Floods Back to East Coast of Spain