Daughter Asks For Help After Mother Loses Contents Of Garage Following Lightning Strike

It was last week in Unincorporated Lockport Township that a woman was alerted by her neighbors of a fire. The Lockport Township Fire Protection District responded to the 300 block of Robson Drive. Christine Austin was asleep at the time when fire broke out following a lightning strike. All the contents of her garage went up in flames including a lifetime of cherished memories and decor for every holiday of the year.

Her daughters set up a GoFundMe page.

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Late Tuesday night, August 27, 2024, at 11:43 p.m., the Lockport Township Fire Protection District was dispatched to a reported detached garage fire in the 300 block of Robson Drive in  unincorporated Lockport Township. 

A neighbor who noticed smoke coming from the garage, called 911 and alerted the residents to  evacuate the house. When fire companies arrived, they found a two-car detached garage with  heavy fire showing. The fire was able to be brought under control in about 15 minutes with all  damage being contained to the garage. The garage and its contents, including the owner’s vehicle, were all destroyed in the fire.  

Companies spent a little over an hour at the scene working to overhaul and completely  extinguish hot spots. No injuries were reported. 

The fire was upgraded to a General Alarm which brought in mutual aid assistance from  Bolingbrook, Lemont, Northwest Homer, and Romeoville to cover the Lockport stations while  companies worked at the fire. 

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation by the Lockport Fire Investigators.