Possible Lightning Strike Causes Florida House Fire With 6-Month-Old Asleep
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – A family lost practically everything they own when their attic caught fire.
It happened during a typical South Florida summer thunderstorm Thursday on Southwest 156th Court.
Cellphone video shows the flames from the street shooting high above the house.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said their next door neighbor called 9-1-1.
Lt Kristen Miller with MDFR said, "There were heavy thunderstorms in the area and the neighbors feel it was a possible lightning strike."
Now the family is scrambling, trying to salvage all they can for their two kids.
A family member told CBS4's Amber Diaz a 6-month old was sleeping in the bedroom upstairs when the fire started.
The family's second child was not at home.
Fortunately everyone was able to get out of the house alive.
One of their neighbors said she thought her house was struck by lightning and she lives down the street.
"Suddenly it started raining so loud and then the boom," said neighbor Martha. "I thought it was over my head in my house."
The house is now a soppy mess.
Members of the family were dumping out buckets of water and chucking personal items damaged in the fire.
Fire rescue says if you believe your house was struck by lightning and you do not see flames, they still want you to call 9-1-1 and get your family and pets out safely.