At 01:22 hours during a severe thunderstorm station 15 was dispatched to assist Stations 1&27 on a residential fire. Additional calls were reporting house struck by lighting with smoke from the roof area. At around 00:33 hours the 911 Center experienced radio problems during the beginning of the storm. 15-8 (Chief Rosseel) arrived on scene at 01:33 hours with fire showing from "C" side of the structure. At 01:35 hours Chief Rosseel requested a working alarm assignment. 15-7 responded at 01:29 hours with Rescue 15 responding at 01:38 hours. Engine 12-5 arrived on scene at 01:38 hours and placed 2 lines in service from the exterior. 15-8 advised that this would be an exterior attack with exposure problems. 15-7 arrived at 01:40 hours and the crew pulled 1 line for the exposure D and placed the ladder pipe in service. Radio communications were basically non-existence due to the problems that the fireboard was experiencing. Rescue 15 arrived at approximately at 01:48 bringing in a line supplying 15-7. With heavy fire conditions throughout the structure, 2 portable monitors were placed in service from 15-7. 27-5 arrived at 01:45 hours followed by 27-3 at 01:47 hours assisting with the exposure D and additional lines to the structure. Level 2 accountability was set up at 12-5. Station 24 was alerted and 24-3 was deployed as the RIT. On the upgrade brought 10-2 and 9-3 from Stations 7,8,9,10 which arrived at 01:58 and 02:03 respectively. Crews assisted with fire suppression efforts. Ladder 27 arrived at an unknown time and set up its ladder pipe from the A/B corner. Command placed the scene under control at 02:38 hours with units working. Station 15 units cleared the scene at around 04:27 hours. Responding units: 15-8, 15-7, Rescue 15, A-15. A total of 14 members responded.