Denton County

Lightning Strikes Set Fire to Two Denton County Homes

While some North Texans dealt with hail and wind damage from Wednesday night's storms, a Flower Mound resident said he never expected to be cleaning up after a bolt of lightning.

Jim Lamb and his two teenage kids were at home during the 9 p.m. hour when lightning struck the roof above their family room at their home on Prince Edward Court near Grapevine Lake.

"Heard a big pop and wasn't sure," said Lamb. "It sounded like it was close but I didn't think it had hit the house. Then we started seeing the smoke."

Lamb said he and the kids called 911 and got out fast.

The Flower Mound Fire Department arrived quickly to find the home's roof on fire, and crews worked to put it out.

Lamb said they stayed with a neighbor overnight, and came back Thursday morning to find the house in shambles.

The roof over the family room is now gone and there's evidence inside of the fire spreading into the second floor. What didn't burn still suffered severe smoke and water damage from the fight to put the blaze out.

"I was just thinking, 'Oh my gosh, this is crazy!' It's crazy, lost a lot of stuff," Lamb said.

Some things are salvageable, and standing out among the devastation Thursday were a few of the family's Easter decorations that survived the fire surprisingly well.

Insurance adjusters and cleaners came through the house Thursday morning and Lamb said they may be in a rental for about six months while the mess is cleaned up.

Lamb said he's just glad his kids and dog were able to get out safely, and emergency crews arrived before the fire got too out of control. He said his wife, who was away on business, would likely be shocked by the scene, though, when she got home.

Also Wednesday night, a home in the Castle Hills neighborhood of Lewisville was struck by lightning and caught fire.

A spokesperson for the Lewisville Fire Department said Thursday that the house was still under construction as part of a new development, and no one was inside at the time.

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