Firefighters douse house fire after lightning strike

UPDATE: Lightning struck a Cedar Rapids house while a real estate agent was showing it to a client Thursday morning.

The lightning bolt hit a large oak tree and the house around 9:20 a.m. at 3127 Westwood Dr. NW. No injuries were reported.

Kathy Carpenter, 57, of Gateway Access Realty, said she and a client were in the back yard when there was a booming lightning strike. They first noticed the splintered tree in the front yard, and then called 911 when they saw smoke coming from the house, she said.

“We recognized it for what it was,” Carpenter said.

Smoke filled the attic of the house after lightning hit near a dormer and a satellite dish, officials said. Crews quickly took care of the fire before it spread, but were forced to break upstairs windows, neighbors said.

John Pulver, battalion chief with the Cedar Rapids Fire Department, said firefighters removed an area of the ceiling that was charred and some insulation, to make sure the fire wasn't still smoldering.

“If you're going to get hit by lightning, it's very minimal damage,” Pulver said.

John Tschiggfrie, 39, said he was alone inside when the lightning stuck, and it woke him up. He wasn't sure what had happened, until he came to the door and was told about the lightning. Tschiggfrie, who uses a motorized wheelchair, got out safely.

Tschiggfrie said he was planning to move out by the end of the month. The American Red Cross was expected to find him a place to stay after the fire.

“I'm out early,” he said.