Sparking Wires, Downed Trees ... It Could've Been Worse

Lightning ripped through the Sunday night sky amid heavy rainfall causing sparking wires, some utility pole fires, downed trees and branches and false fire and burglar alarms all over town.

But Kevin Catalano, spokesman for the Monroe Volunteer Fire Department, has seen worse.

"It wasn't too busy," he said Monday. "We had about six calls. It wasn't too bad, at least three or four calls of wires sparking during the storm and at least one fire alarm caused by lightning. With these types of storms you always have it — there was nothing major as far as damage."

The Monroe Police Department's daily log from Sunday shows:

A telephone pole fire on Josie's Ring Road at 4:30 p.m.

A burning tree branch fell onto wires on the 700-block of Wheeler Road at 4:53 p.m. And a branch from a downed tree on Huntingtown Road blocked traffic at 5:31 p.m.

Firefighters responded to an electrical problem after a lightning strike on Beech Tree Lane, then to a second fire alarm on that street and a third at Osborn Lane.

A wire on fire at the intersection of Route 110 and Stony Brook Drive was reported at 9:29 p.m.

A tree branch that fell across Route 111 had to be removed near the intersection of Josie's Ring Road at 11:25 p.m.

In addition to several false fire alarms, Police Capt. Michael Flick said there were six false burglar alarms as people lost power and got it back.