LITTLE RIVER, SC (WBTW) – A home in Little River was struck by lightning and caught fire Saturday afternoon, according to the Horry County Fire Rescue’s Twitter page.
HCFR was dispatched around 4 p.m. Saturday, after getting reports of a residential fire on Burning Tree Lane.
It was later determined the fire was started by a lightning strike.
The fire displaced two people, but neither suffered any injuries.
People who live in the Heather Lakes subdivision in Little River say the lightening bolt hitting the home was loud enough to hear throughout the neighborhood.
“All of a sudden there was a large crash, boom, lightening,” Mickey Pierotti who lives nearby said. “We immediately heard glass break.”
Pierotti says when he went outside, he smelled smoke and saw several fire engines and emergency vehicles pull into the subdivision.
“They were here so quickly. There were (around) six engines, five rescue vehicles; emergency vehicles,” Pierotti said.
Mitch Bradley who lives across the street from the home that was struck says Horry County Fire Rescue crews responded within minutes.
“Before I knew it, 4:45 came around and they were already done cleaning up the fire; it was already put out,” Bradley said.
However, the damage was significant, but Bradley says, luckily the people who live in the home were out at dinner when everything happened.
Neighbors say they’re thankful no one was hurt and that the lightening didn’t strike again.
“We’ve got the only two story (home) on the block, (with) solar panels, all that metal, it could’ve been any of our homes, and they’re so close together
that fire could’ve spread really quickly, so it was really paramount that the firefighters got here as soon as they did,” Bradley said.
“I hope the people are going to be okay and their home. It’s a terrible thing that happened,” Pierotti said.
