Neighbors join forces to help after lightning destroys 3 Raleigh homes 'We have to do something':

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- The Longlake community is rallying around their neighbors after a lightning strike ignited a fire that destroyed three homes.

The damage remains along Silver View Lane days later. It's something Alice Shupe didn't expect to witness on her Monday morning walk.

"Pretty devastating. The whole top part of the house is gone. You can see right through to the trees on the other side," said Shupe. "My heart goes out to these families."

She and her husband were on a Zoom call Friday afternoon when they heard the storms rolling in.

"It was this thunder that was right on top of us," she said. "We live a block over that way. We jumped."

Neighbors like Mayra Mandler saw the aftermath of that lightning strike firsthand.

"I was just coming home. I saw a lot of smoke," she exclaimed.

Cellphone video that neighbors shared with ABC11 showed flames shooting several feet into the air.

There was even a video of firefighters battling the blaze from a second-story window of a home next door. One neighbor said that she watched as firefighters broke a door down to rescue the family dog.

"The thing I'll never forget is standing across the street with our neighbors as they had to watch their houses burn," said neighbor Stephanie Bartsch. "Everyone who saw it that day said we have to do something."

Drone 11 revealed just how extensive the damage was as the community rallied around their neighbors through an online fundraiser.

"That's something that's always shook me about this country. Doesn't matter if you don't know the people or how bad the situation is, they always pitch in," said Mandler, who is a Mexico City native.

She now knows what it means to be a Longlake resident. It's something Amy Hendershott has already experienced.

"I know they've been there for me before with my daughter that's gone through some challenging medical issues," she said.

The community has already raised more than $20,000 as there is no timeline on when these families will recover. The homeowners are staying at hotels and Airbnb locations.

"We just want to get money in their hands as quick as possible to ease the burden," said Bartsch.