Lightning May Have Sparked Denton House Fire

Martha and Jim Tieszen have lived in their Denton house for 24 years, and now they're going to have to rebuild.

The couple says a bolt of lightning struck the corner of the their house Friday, sparking a massive fire that gutted the house.

"It hit right next to where we sleep. I heard the loud noise and then a sound like something going 'zzzzzz', then I smelled smoke," Martha said.

Her husband Jim fell asleep in a nearby room after working late.

"I slept right through it. I didn't hear anything until Martha woke me up," he said.

The fire spread through their attic and took nearly four hours to put out, the couple said.

"The good thing is, none of us were hurt. And I have enough family and friends around here to help us through this," Jim said as he swept up charred pieces of his home.

Both Martha and Jim said they only heard one clap of thunder and only saw one lightning bolt. It was the one that hit their house.

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