‘I didn't realize it looks like fire when it hits': Old South residents recount lightning strike that damaged South C.I.

CTV News

25-06-2025

Lightning struck a London, Ont. school during a graduation ceremony. CTV's Sean Irvine reports on the damage and evacuation.
A London educational landmark was hit by lightning during a graduation ceremony Tuesday evening.
Thankfully, no one was hurt, but the building was damaged.
In a moment of chance, the strike was captured on video.
The posting on social media showed a bolt hitting a chimney located just to the west of the front entrance.
Wednesday morning, it bore the scars. A large crack and crumbling masonry were among the visible damages.
The bolt struck the iconic Old South landmark during an intense storm shortly after 6 p.m.
'I've never heard something so loud in my life,' commented Lenore Chesworth, who lives just down the street from the school.
'It sounded like something cutting through steel. You could almost feel the vibration of it, but it was really loud.'
It was even louder for those inside.
As it turned out, the high school was about to host an elementary school graduation. It was quickly called off and moved to another school.
In the meantime, fire crews rushed to inspect South for damage.
'Roof inspection saw that a large section of that chimney had fallen through the roof of the building, landing on the third floor,' Platoon Chief Brent Shea told CTV News London.
The discovery solidified the need to cancel exams for the day.
Work crews arrived to inspect the chimney and the rest of the building on Wednesday morning.
While time will repair the damage, the memory of the rare strike by Mother Nature will live on.
'I didn't realize it looks like fire when it hits, it's amazing,' said nearby resident Mallory Lavigne.
'It will be quite a memory for the graduates to share with their family and friends,' added Shea.
And, as more than one passerby mentioned, it will be a story to tell that has ties to a blockbuster film connection. It also prominently featured a lightning strike on a classic building.
'It's kind of out of a movie. Kind of Back-to-the-Future,' expressed Chesworth.