Lightning sparks three house fires in Fuquay-Varina
FUQUAY-VARINA (WTVD) -- Tuesday was a busy night for firefighters.
In Fuquay-Varina, the fire chief told ABC11 there were three fires in a three-mile radius.
One started just before 7 p.m. on Timber Meadow Lake Drive, and left two gaping holes in the roof.
Neighbors said they heard a loud boom and then minutes later smoke started pouring out.
The owners of the home were recently married and are away on their honeymoon.
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One neighbor who saw the fire, said he rushed over with a garden hose to check on the couple's dogs, but luckily they weren't inside.
"The roof was smoking, it was coming from all those pvc pipes, those vents, one of the plastic pipes that's up there melted and fire was coming out the windows and all that plastic started melting," said neighbor Nick Mazzeo. "And it was pretty scary being this close."
The fire chief said most of the damage was contained to the upstairs.
It was a similar story not too far away.
About the same time, another lightning strike is to blame for a fire in the Fern Valley subdivision in Fuquay-Varina.
A family was just finishing their dinner when they say lightning struck the roof, sparking a fire in the attic and knocking out power to part of the house.
All three people inside, as well as the family dog, escaped unharmed.
Several surrounding fire departments helped put out the fires.
No one was hurt.
