Lightning Sparks Lutz House Fire

LUTZ, FL — An early Wednesday morning lightning strike in Lutz sparked a fire that damaged a family’s home.

According to Pasco County Fire Rescue Chief Andrew Fossa, a call to the agency from 2124 Zamia Loop came in around 6:32 a.m. Three engines and two rescue units responded to the scene, he said. It took about 20 minutes to battle the blaze, but crews stayed on scene afterwards to ensure no hot spots remained.

The family inside the home “self-rescued themselves,” Fossa wrote in an email to media. They were awake when the lightning strike occurred and suspected their home might have been struck. They evacuated after realizing the suspicion was correct, Fossa said.

Wednesday morning’s storms brought heavy rain, thunder and numerous lightning strikes to the area.

“It was quite a storm,” Fossa said.

Lightning strikes are not at all uncommon this time of year in the Tampa Bay area. Residents who believe their homes have been struck by lightning may initially have a difficult time telling for sure, Fossa said. Checking, like the Zamia Loop family did, is a good idea.

“If you think your house got struck, once it’s safe, go outside and look around,” he said. It can be difficult to tell for sure initially because strikes generally impact the attic first.

Fortunately, Fossa said, strikes on homes are fairly rare, but they do happen. “Today, the lightning was pretty severe.”

The extent of damage related to Wednesday’s fire has not yet been estimated. It is unclear if the family will require Red Cross assistance.

Photo courtesy of Pasco County Fire Rescue

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