Lightning possible cause of 3-alarm business fire
Haley Hinds reports
By: Haley Hinds, FOX 13 News
Updated:Jul 12 2016 07:02AM EDT
THONOTOSASSA, FLORIDA (FOX 13) - Hillsborough firefighters battled a 3-alarm fire at a Thonotosassa business that may have been sparked by lightning.
The blaze broke out around 8:30 p.m. Monday at Lightning RV Supply. Highway 301 was shut down north of Fowler Avenue, so fire crews could battle the blaze.
Things calmed down significantly by 11 p.m. But, firefighters had to be extremely cautious because of what's inside.
Lightning RV Supply stores propane tanks, large and small. When the fire heated up, neighbors could hear the loud booms as the tanks exploded.
Crews fought the flames defensively, meaning firefighters stayed outside the structure for their own safety.
With most of the flames out, the focus shifts to keeping the tanks cool. Crews are pouring a constant stream of water down into the building.
Though the cause of the fire has not been officially named, employees at Lightning RV Supply say they heard a loud crack like lightning before the fire started. They were all able to get out safely before fire trucks arrived.
Despite an intense fire, there were fortunately no injuries.
Lightning possible cause of 3-alarm business fire
================================
Three-alarm fire engulfs Thonotosassa warehouse as storms roll through Bay Area
Fire damaged warehouse for Lightning RV Supply
Sean O'Reilly
9:38 PM, Jul 11, 2016
2 hours ago
Two-alarm fire engulfs Thonotosassa warehouse as storms roll through Bay Area 
WFTS
THONOTOSASSA, Fla. - A 3-alarm fire severely damaged a warehouse for Lightning RV Supply late Monday night and forced deputies to temporarily close a portion of U.S. 301 in Thonotosassa. UPDATE: As of 6:05 a.m., 301 is back open.
The fire began around the same time severe weather rolled through the Tampa Bay area. A Lightning RV employee was at the business and said he heard loud boom. He went outside to see what caused the sound and saw the area around the meter on fire. That is when he called 911.
Hillsborough County Fire Rescue crews arrived on scene to find smoke and flames pouring through the warehouse's roof. Authorities immediately called for a second alarm on the structure.
Authorities positioned two fire trucks to attack the fire by spraying water on the flames to prevent them from spreading to nearby homes.
Fire crews say the steel roof of the 10,000-square-foot warehouse made direct contact with the flames, compromising its integrity. Firefighters then went into a defensive mode, restricting all efforts to extinguish the fire to the outside of the warehouse.
Officials report firefighters made sure the threat from all hazardous items, including propane tanks and packing material, were mitigated during their initial attack on the fire.
Authorities report no firefighters suffered any injuries battling the fire.
A Fire Investigator is on scene investigating if a lightning strike sparked the fire.
Copyright 2016 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published