Lightning strikes cause house fires in the metro

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — While thunderstorms raged overnight, firefighters were busy responding to five lightning strikes. Three of those caused house fires Friday morning.

"I heard this ridiculously loud boom," said Julie Crighton.

Friday morning, Crighton was rattled awake, in a neighborhood near NW 164th St. and MacArthur Blvd.

She went to her bathroom and found smoke coming from her light fixtures.

"While I was standing there, the mirror exploded. I mean, it was a miracle that I did not get cut up," said Crighton. "I could feel the heat coming out of it."

With her husband not home, she rushed outside to escape the smoke and flames.

"I didn't have any time to get anything out of there except my dogs," said Crighton.

Capt. John Chenoweth, with OKC Fire Department, said mother nature was to blame.

"You get a lightning strike, it charges the whole house," said Chenoweth.

Crighton isn't alone in the early morning fright. Lightning sparked fires at two other metro homes.

Fifteen minutes away from Crighton, near Memorial Rd. and Morgan Rd., lightning struck the back of the home.

Thankfully, the family was out of town and a neighbor called it in.

Then down south, near SW 89th St. and Rockwell Ave., a woman was home alone after her husband and kids left for the day.

"She heard a loud boom, smelled smoke and walked outside, and unfortunately her house is on fire right now," said Captain Scott Douglas at the scene. "You can see where the lightning penetrated the roof."

Firefighters said lightning-strike house fires are a tough battle. The flames spread quickly throughout the home.

"The thing about lightning strikes, they usually start in the attic as an attic fire," said Chenoweth. "So, our firefighters are climbing the roofs in the rain, the storm, everything like that."

The best advice is to do what Crighton did, get out as fast as you can and call 911.

"Very scary. I'm still shaking!" said Crighton.

We asked if there's anything you can do to protect your home against lightning strikes.

The Lightning Protection Institute, in Norman, said people install lightning rods on their roofs everyday. However, they must be professionally installed and grounded.