WALES — Thunderstorm not enough to wow you? Need more dazzling effects?

The remains of a tree, covered with a foam and water mix, that caught fire Wednesday after it was struck by lightning in Wales. Photo submitted by the Wales Fire Department

The Wales Fire Department on Wednesday posted a video of flames burning within a tree trunk after a lightning strike in the afternoon.

Firefighters were sent to the fire near Leeds Junction Road where they found the tree glowing from within.

According to a Wales fire officials, crews extinguished the fire as much as possible with their forestry truck using a booster reel — a forestry hose on an electric rewind wheel.

They then cut down the tree with a chainsaw, using extra care since the tree had been split in half by the lightning strike. The tree was then quartered from the bottom up until firefighters found no more burning or charring.

Firefighters then used a water and foam mixture to cover all burning materials until they were extinguished for good.

A firefighter said the lightning strike had caused rotting material inside the tree to catch fire roughly 10 feet off the ground.

A fire official said that had the area not received rain in the days before the lightning strike, the burning tree likely would have spread and caused a woods fire.

The land where the tree was located is owned by the Amish.

A tree in Wales burns from within after it was struck by lightning Wednesday. Photo submitted by the Wales Fire Department


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.

filed under: