Yampa — A lightning strike is the suspected cause of a fire at South Routt Elementary School in Yampa that kept firefighters busy Wednesday afternoon.

The fire was reported at about 12:20 p.m. Wednesday and was put out by 3 p.m. The lightning strike is thought to have hit the roof over the elementary school's gymnasium. Flames were minimal as smoke billowed from the roof.

The South Routt School District ended its academic year two weeks ago, so no students were in the school when the fire broke out.

South Routt Superintendent Scott Mader added that no events were planned for the gymnasium in the coming weeks.

Custodian Kelly Carlson was eating lunch with his wife in the school's break room and reported hearing the strike, according to South Routt School Board member Joel Harris, who also serves as the district's public information officer.

Two people driving by the school and a neighbor noticed the smoke, Harris said. Before firefighters had arrived, the school's doors had been closed, and the electricity and gas were turned off.

The fire was contained to the gymnasium.

"There is not going to be a lot of smoke damage to the classrooms," Mader said.

A large section of the gymnasium roof had to be torn off in order to extinguish the fire.

School officials already are in touch with their insurance company to discuss coverage and repairs, Mader said.

In addition to smoke damage, school officials were trying to mitigate the damage to the gym's wood floor, which school officials noticed already were starting to warp.

"It's hard to say what will happen when it dries up," Harris said.

Oak Creek Fire Protection District, Yampa Fire Protection District, Steamboat Springs Fire Rescue and Routt County Sheriff's Office personnel responded to the fire.