North Texas

Company Says Lightning Rods Becoming More Popular

Lightning sparks three house fires this week in Frisco

Fires in Frisco sparked by lightning have some homeowners on edge.

Three homes caught fire during a storm Monday morning, in addition to two more that burned because of lightning in late April.

"I'm still in shock. I can't believe it. It's very scary. It could have been us," said Gail Marin, who lives a few doors down from a home that burned Monday on Montezuma Way.

Lightning caused heavy damage on the upstairs portion of the home.

Across town, lightning left behind scorched shingles after officials say bolt struck the gas line at a home on Evening Sun Drive causing tens of thousands of dollars in damage.

Then there's a home that went up in flames on Shady Shore Drive during a lightning storm in late April.

Heath Howe works at Argyle-based Bonded Lightning Protection. The company installs metal rods on roofs that absorb lightning strikes, so your house doesn't.

"We're really busy right now," he said.

Howe says many of the calls are coming from homeowners in northern Plano and Frisco.

"Those are one of the hottest areas for lightning," he said.

Growth and new development, Howe says, may be the reason.

"The way we build homes now, and even construction in general, we've taken all the overhead power and we've put it underground," Howe said. "That's a big player in it."

No one has been hurt in any of the fires sparked by lightning.

It's a brush with Mother Nature happening way too often for some, and much too close to home.

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