Over the last few days, a handful of homes have caught fire in DFW because of lightning. NBC 5’s Sophia Beausoleil spoke with a local lightning rod installation company about protecting North Texas homes.
A house fire in Collin County caused by lightning has neighbors rushing to install what experts say is the only way to prevent a similar disaster from happening to them.
Larry Breecher, a fourth-generation owner of Superior Lightning Protection, said lightning rods are the most effective tool at preventing a building fire after a lightning strike since their invention in 1749.
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WATCH HERE"Lightning rods are nothing new; they’ve been putting them on since Ben Franklin invented them 280 years ago," said Breecher.
Foot-long copper rods are first installed on the roof. When lightning strikes the rods, electricity follows to an attached cable down the side of the home and 10 feet into the ground, Breecher explained.
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SIGN UP "The occupants inside don't even know they were hit," Breecher said. "It's about a two-second situation. Lightning hits the lightning rod and 'boom,' it's down to the ground that quickly."
After thunderstorms blew through Collin County on Sunday, Breecher said surrounding homeowners are quickly signing up to protect themselves.
"When people see houses burn down, it puts it in their mind," Breecher said. "It's too late for the victims."
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While not mandatory for homes in Texas, Breecher said installing lightning rods is a one-time investment that's cheap compared to the alternative.
"It costs about 1% of the cost of your home or less," Breecher said. "[When hit], the houses are 99 times out of 100, total losses. Why take a chance?"
Breecher, one of 17 master installers in the nation, said he's no stranger to the consequences of an ill-prepared North Texas during storm season. And as populations across North Texas continue to grow, more homes mean more opportunities for a lightning-related fire.
"I've seen where there's been 20 houses hit in one night," he said. "It's like Russian roulette. It's a matter of when and if and who's going to get struck."
