RICHMOND, Va., June 26, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Loehr Lightning Protection Co. (LLP), Virginia’s leader in lightning protection system consultation and installation, is endorsing two important lightning safety initiatives. LLP, a woman-owned Virginia contracting firm founded in 1947, is supporting the National Lightning Safety Council’s 26th-year anniversary of National Lightning Safety Awareness Week and aligning itself with the South Asian Lightning Network (SALNet) and its experts at Aegisflash in Houston, Texas to commemorate International Lightning Safety Day (ILSD), June 28, 2026.
Image caption: While lightning-sparked fires claim lives and destroy homes and structures in every region of the U.S., most property owners are unaware that these fires can be prevented. Lightning protection systems that comply with national safety standards can fortify homes and buildings against this leading weather threat.
“Lightning is the weather threat that affects most people in most parts of our state and the U.S., and it’s also a leading fire threat,” said Milicent Loehr Lynch, vice president and co-owner at LLP. She continued stating that, “A lightning strike can pack over 300 million volts of power—massive electricity that can ignite a devastating home or structural fire in seconds.”
“The National Lightning Safety Council’s Awareness Week campaign at the official start of summer is a perfect time to remind property owners about a common, very destructive, yet little understood fire risk,” added Lynch, who is also an LPI-Certified Journeyman, LPS installer and a member of the Lightning Protection Institute’s Ethics Committee. “Partnering with LPS industry professionals and sharing NLSC, NFPA and ILSD resources, are just a few of the ways we’re helping to build lightning safe communities.”
“International Lightning Safety Day began in 2020 as an initiative to commemorate a lightning tragedy that occurred in Uganda on June 28, 2011,” said Dr. Shriram Sharma (PhD), principal at Aegisflash and chairman of SALNet, which began the ILSD initiative to raise awareness about the dangers of lightning and the importance of safety measures. In his work with SALNet, Dr. Shriram has partnered with a host of dedicated professionals, including researchers, engineers, risk mitigation practitioners and advocates who share a common goal: saving lives and protecting critical infrastructure from the deadly and destructive lightning hazard.
While safety standard-compliant lightning protection systems (LPS) can provide a safe and effective grounding network to protect structures from the lightning threat, most property owners aren’t aware of their availability. According to experts at the Lightning Protection Institute, the NFPA 780 Standard for the Installation of Lightning Protection Systems is recognized as the most comprehensive resource for reducing lightning risks at U.S. properties. The NFPA regularly reviews LPS methods and materials through its code process to make sure that lightning protection methods and materials are standardized and keep pace with our ever-changing building technology.
While commercial, industrial, governmental, municipal, educational and healthcare facilities routinely specify NFPA 780 LPS technology as a risk mitigation measure, homeowners are increasingly relying on LPS to fortify and protect their properties against the destructive and sometimes deadly lightning threat.
“Lightning strikes that occur in the darkness of night can be especially difficult to recognize and detect,” said Lynch. “Even in the light of day, lightning fires aren’t always visible in their initial stages and it’s not unusual for these blazes to originate in enclosed spaces like the attic, basement or electrical panels.”
“Every year, lightning continues to claim lives and damage valuable infrastructure around the world,” said Dr. Sharma. “Thankfully, we possess the science, technology, standards, and expertise needed to significantly reduce these losses to prevent tragedies like the June 2011 Uganda event. The challenge is not whether solutions exist, it is whether we choose to implement them,” he explained.
It is Dr. Sharma’s hope that International Lightning Safety Day will continue to grow as a “globally recognized platform that inspires action, promotes best practices, and ultimately saves lives.”
Inquiries about specific lightning concerns, the annual Lightning Safety Awareness Week campaign, and International Lightning Safety Day can be addressed to NLSC members via contacts here: http://www.lightningsafetycouncil.com/LSC-About.html.
For more information about fire prevention and Safety Standard Compliant lightning protection systems, visit the National Fire Protection Association website.
ABOUT LOEHR LIGHTNING PROTECTION CO.:
Since 1947, Loehr Lightning Protection Co. has served as Virginia’s leader in lightning protection system design, installation and consultation to protect lives, property and assets from lightning’s deadly and destructive force. A family-owned, women-owned and operated SWaM business, it is LLP’s priority to continue its reputation as “A Striking Difference” in the lightning protection industry for many years to come.
Learn more at: https://loehrlightning.com/
###
MEDIA ONLY CONTACT:
(not for print or online)
Kimberly Loehr
NFPA BFSSS Member/NLSC Board Member
kim@loehrlightning.com
News Source: Loehr Lightning Protection Co.
