Six families in Keller are cleaning up after lightning strikes sparked house fires. Six homes were damaged within three hours. Four took direct hits.
Firefighters in Keller say six house fires Sunday night were likely started by lightning strikes.
The fires started at about 9:15 p.m. while thunderstorms were moving through the area. Four homes took direct lightning hits, and two others were damaged by nearby strikes.
"It's something I'm not really accustomed to -- that many lightning strikes in one evening," Keller Fire Chief David Jones said.
He said most of the fires were minor, but a home in the 1000 block of Bourland Drive had major damage to the roof.
Two people were inside the home at the time of the fire but escaped uninjured. The family pet died in the fire.
"We only lost the kitty cat, but everybody got out safe," homeowner Lisa Holman said.
Flames shot 60 feet into the air minutes after the lightning struck the home.
"I was told that there was [a] gas line where the hot water was, possibly, that kind of went up and then it just spread really fast across the roof," Holman said.
Other strikes happened on Richmond Drive, Edgewood Drive and Lismore Court.
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Eight cities had to be called to assist firefighters.
NBC 5's Kevin Cokely contributed to this report.
