Lightning Blamed For House Fire In Parker
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PARKER (CBSDFW.COM) - Some powerful storms pushed through North Texas on Monday morning, bringing hard rain and strong winds to the area. Lightning is thought to be responsible for a house fire in the Collin County city of Parker. It took place at around 6:00 a.m. along Glen Meadows Drive.
A couple and their three kids were asleep inside of the home when the storm arrived. The family heard a loud boom and began to run for safety. It only took a couple of minutes for all of their belongings to go up in flames -- an awful way to begin the new year.
Smoke detectors went off immediately. But, by the time that help arrived, the entire home was already on fire. "Unfortunately, when fire gets into the attic of homes this large, this is typically the result you'll see," said Chief Mike Sheff of the Parker Fire Department.
Six neighboring fire departments battled the blaze, but there was nothing that could be done to stop it from ravaging the home as the family watched from outside. Thankfully, they were all able to escape. There were no injuries reported in this upsetting incident.
Lightning strikes are common in this part of DFW. A few years back, experts even determined that the soil and elevation play a role in their frequency here. Sheff said that most homes do not have lightning rods. They might be worth looking into if you are worried about a similar fire at your home.
"I came out this morning and saw the fire coming up to the roof," said neighbor Cliff Fullerton. "Just know how hard it is once you know you kind of have to rebuild this part of your material life."
