Lightning Strike Sets Coral Springs House on Fire

A lightning strike set a Coral Springs house on fire late Thursday night, officials said.

The strike happened at a home in the 600 block of Northwest 100th Lane around 10 p.m., Coral Springs Fire Department spokesman Mike Moser said.

"Lightning struck the fireplace, and a lightning bolt went down through the chimney," homeowner Tommy Casciola said.

No one was injured but the strike caused two small fires in the home's attic. It took firefighters an hour to find the fires because they were hidden in the attic, Moser said.

"We came outside. It smelled like smoke out here, so I'm thinking something's burning in the Everglades — but then we went back inside, and it was worse in the house," Casciola said.

When he and his daughter went to the attic to investigate, they saw no smoke. She said, however, to call the fire department anyway.

"It's a good thing I did, because if I didn't, they would have been wheeling out four body bags this morning, and this house wouldn't be here," he said.

The home also suffered water damage. Casciola said they will be staying with family until the damage is fixed.

Debris from the lightning strike was still scattered in the home's yard early Friday.