In 2007, the Tallahassee Fire Department responded to a large number of structure fires caused by lightning strikes. These incidents increased the risk of death, injury and property damage to members of the community and members of the organization. The problem was that the City of Tallahassee residents experienced a large number of fires annually attributable to lightning strikes. The purpose of the research was to identify geographical, seasonal and related trends of lightning strikes in Tallahassee, Florida, in order to predict future patterns and identify mitigation strategies.Historical research was utilized to answer the following research questions: a) what has been the frequency and location of lightning related fires in Tallahassee from 2005 through 2008? b) are there geographical or seasonal trends related to lightning fires in Tallahassee? c) how do lightning strikes in Tallahassee and attributable fires compare to state and national statistics? d) what mitigation devices are effective in reducing the damage caused by lightning strikes? Procedures included: (a) an extensive literature review, (b) retrieval of historic incident data from internal databases, and (c) the utilization of spreadsheets and pivot tables to convert the data into meaningful information applicable to the research.The research resulted in: (a) the identification of seasonal trends in lightning related incidents, (b) the identification of the extent of the risk to Tallahassee residents as compared to state and federal statistics, and (c) conclusive evidence revealing the monetary impact of lightning fires to the Tallahassee community which may be used as the catalyst to future code enhancement. Recommendations for future actions include: (a) the development of a comprehensive lightning safety public education campaign, and (b) further research into the feasibility and cost effectiveness of modifications of existing building codes to include mandatory lightning protection devices on all residences in the service area.