Passerby helps residents escape apartment fire

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Lt. Col. Jeff Botner (Source: Jeff Knight, WAVE 3 News)

Louisville firefighters ventilate the roof of the building. (Source: Jeff Knight, WAVE 3 News)

LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - Lightning from a severe storm that rolled through Louisville may have been the culprit behind a fire in the attic of building in the Shawnee neighborhood.

Around 10:30 a.m., Louisville firefighters were called to Southwestern Parkway near Market Street. Smoke was coming from the third floor of the building which contained two apartments on the floors below.

Lt. Col. Jeff Botner, an assistant chief with the Louisville Fire Department, said a passerby alerted residents on the second floor and helped get everyone out safely.

Botner said the building did have smoke detectors, but because the fire was on the floor above the detectors had not gone off.

The fire to the third floor of the building, an area which is used for storage. The floors below suffered some smoke and water damage.

Residents told firefighters they heard a loud boom just before learning of the fire.