Lightning likely sparks 2 separate house fires in Northern Colorado

Lightning is believed to have sparked two separate house fires in Northern Colorado late Thursday night. Both happened just minutes apart, one in Loveland and the other in Fort Collins. 

The first fire was reported at 10:23 p.m. at a house in the area of North Taft Avenue and West 50th Street in Loveland. Firefighters rushed to the home where the fire was burning in an attic space. Everyone inside the burning home was able to escape unharmed. 

At the time, a severe thunderstorm was producing heavy rain, hail and significant lightning. Crews were able to get the blaze under control. 

Just a few minutes after Loveland Fire Rescue Authority crews were dispatched to that house fire, Poudre Fire Authority crews were called to a structure fire in the 3900 block of West Highland Drive. Crews were able to extinguish that fire within a half hour of arriving. No one was injured in that house fire. 

While crews were battling the house fire, the entrance to West Highland Drive from Weld County Road 38E remained closed. It reopened about 90 minutes after the initial closure.