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Hernando Today

Clubhouse Catches Fire During Thunderstorm

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By KYLE MARTIN

Hernando Today

Published: July 9, 2008

SPRING HILL - SPRING HILL - Thunderstorms dumped more than an inch of rain on the county Monday and started at least one fire.

A pine tree outside the Pristine Place club house was struck by lightning shortly after 5 p.m. and the bolt energized the underground sprinkler pipes.

The current then traveled into the building, igniting the sprinkler's timing controls, said Spring Hill Fire Rescue District Chief Kevin Carroll.

Firefighters responding to the subdivision bordered by Barclay Avenue and Spring Hill Drive were able to contain the blaze in about 15 minutes, Carroll said.

The damage was estimated at less than several thousand dollars.

Monday's showers contributed an average 1.46 inches to July's to-date total rainfall of 2.3 inches, according to the Southwest Florida Water Management District.

The county's average rainfall for July is 8.74 inches, so about 27 percent of that has been met within the first week, said Robyn Felix, spokeswoman for the district.

Weekend rainfall totals are on average: .12 inches on Friday; .09 on Saturday; .46 on Sunday.

Localized flooding is common during a downpour and often prompts maintenance requests from concerned citizens, said Ralph Wirsching, permitting and scheduling supervisor for the county's department of public works.

But typically there's not a problem, it's a just matter of letting the water percolate into the soil. County workers have found "nothing out of the ordinary" in terms of drainage this month, Wirsching said.

Still, there have been enough concerns that Hernando County Emergency Management has opened sand bag stations around the county. Those filling stations are at Spring Hill Fire Rescue Station 1, 1479 Parker Ave in Spring Hill; Hernando Beach Volunteer Fire Dept at 3451 Shoal Line Blvd in Hernando Beach; Brooksville Fire Dept at 85 Veterans Ave. in Brooksville; and the Ridge Manor Community Center, Cortez Boulevard and Lakewood Dr, a quarter mile west of U.S. 301.

The National Weather Service predicts rain showers for the rest of this week, with a 40 percent chance today and a 20 percent chance Thursday and Friday.

Downpours continued Tuesday afternoon, but no official rainfall amounts had been posted by press deadline.

Reporter Kyle Martin can be reached at 352-544-5271 or kmartin@hernandotoday.com.

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