A post office that served residents around the town of Leggett was shut down after local residents said a nearby lightning strike destroyed the building.
Firefighters from multiple agencies responded to a call of the fire just after 5:30pm local time on Friday. Video shot by Stephen Sutherland The footage showed the building engulfed in flames.
Although the U.S. Postal Service Center was located just meters from the local market, Sutherland said other buildings nearby appeared to have escaped the fire.
“The grocery store was saved and my mother’s property was saved,” Sutherland said. “There were no injuries. The postmaster had already left for the day.”
Initial reports said lightning struck a nearby tree before the small post office’s vegetation burst into flames.
The fire, which is essentially the town’s main commercial district, even attracted public attention. state senator mike mcguireencouraged everyone to temporarily avoid traveling through affected areas in northern Mendocino County.
Leggett has an estimated population of less than 100 people and is located in a giant redwood forest about six hours north of San Francisco.
Hail, high winds and lightning were reported in areas up and down State Route 1 in California during a storm brought on by Friday’s powerful winter system.
The biggest impacts were reported in the inland mountains, where several feet of snow fell and wind gusts well over 160 mph.
FOX Weather Winter Storm Specialist Tom Niziol described this storm system as one of the most powerful winter storm systems to impact the interior of the state in recent years.
“This is a very interesting event to study from a meteorological perspective,” Niziol said. “A blizzard warning is in effect for the Sierra Nevada, as well as areas of eastern Nevada where the combination of snow and wind creates blizzard conditions.”
Fortunately, conditions in the Golden State’s coastal regions have improved significantly as major parts of the energy work farther west.
FOX Weather reached out to the USPS after hours to determine what the agency plans to do next regarding operations at Leggett and is awaiting a response.
The nearest post offices appear to be in the towns of Laytonville and Garberville, about a 30 minute drive from Leggett.
