Sumpter Fire Dept. responds to lightning strike at Crosswinds Marsh

Sumpter Township fire fighters responded to Crosswinds Marsh at 2:41 p.m. June 1, after the pavilion building was hit by lightning. Fire Chief Rick Brown said the lightning struck just to left of the metal bird at the peak of the roof, damaged the rafters, burnt a hole in the shingles, and splintered the floor.
Since the pavilion is located on an island in the marsh and the only way to get there is by boardwalk, the fire fighters could not drive a truck to the fire and had to use two Indian Packs. Chief Brown said they are carried on your back and have a pump you can turn to pull water from the marsh. He said with those packs and a fire extinguisher they were able to extinguish the fire.
The building was locked up for repairs, so they had to unscrew the doors for entry when they arrived. The fire was called in by a person who saw a trickle of smoke coming from within the pavilion.