Lightning Strike Causes 5 House Fires in Georgia Neighborhood

A fire chief says lightning was the likely cause of five house fires in a single Georgia neighborhood.

Pooler Fire Chief Wade Simmons says the homes were all set ablaze Thursday as storms rolled through the small city west of Savannah. He told WTOC-TV that three of the houses sustained significant fire damage. The others had minor damage, mostly to electrical appliances.

Only one minor injury was reported.

Thunderstorms brought rain and lightning to the area the evening of the Fourth of July. Pooler resident Randy Jerell said he was getting ready to grill when the nasty weather hit all of a sudden.

He said: “There was no lightning whatsoever and then boom it all started.”