Pasadena Citizen - News
Lightning causes fire
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| Pasadena firefighters take a break after a house fire that was caused by a lightning strike from a fast-moving storm in the 3700 block of Country Road on Tuesday afternoon. |
By JERI MARTINEZ
A fast moving storm which moved through the southern part of Pasadena caused substantial damage to a house in the 3700 block of Country Road between Fairmont Parkway and Vista Road around 3 p.m. Tuesday.
The Pasadena Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched after numerous 911 calls were made regarding a house fire. Districts 4, 5 and 8 arrived minutes after the call and put out the fire within minutes.
Neighbor Magen Clemons was at her house, some four houses down from the affected house, when the storm approached the area.
“We were sitting in the garage when we heard a loud boom and it shook the house,” she said after witnessing the lightning strike the back of the house. “I started seeing smoke fill the street and I thought the RV (that was parked next door) was on fire.”
Clemons later saw the smoke coming from both sides of the house and discovered flames coming out of the front door.
Pasadena Fire Marshal David Brannon said after hearing numerous witness statements it appeared that there was a lightning strike.
“After talking to everyone out here then going in and actually doing an origin of cause of the interior of the house, that does appear to be the most likely cause,” he said.
Concern arose after neighbors remembered an elderly person living at the house and they were not sure if the person was home at the time.
“There were reports that somebody may have been inside, but after doing a thorough search of the structure there was no one inside,” Brannon said.
Pasadena VFD Fire Chief Lanny Armstrong said when engine 81 arrived there was fire around the front door and heard the same reports about a woman being inside.
“(Engine) 81 got here and did a primary search really quick,” he said. “They did a good job.”
Neighbors also reported the power in the neighborhood flickered, but did return a short time later.
The house sustained damage from the fire.
“It did suffer pretty substantial damage to the structure in the attic area from where the actual lightning strike was and from the fire suppression operation in the living room area,” Brannon said. “The fire department did an excellent job as far as response and the fire suppression operation.”
The Pasadena Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched after numerous 911 calls were made regarding a house fire. Districts 4, 5 and 8 arrived minutes after the call and put out the fire within minutes.
Neighbor Magen Clemons was at her house, some four houses down from the affected house, when the storm approached the area.
“We were sitting in the garage when we heard a loud boom and it shook the house,” she said after witnessing the lightning strike the back of the house. “I started seeing smoke fill the street and I thought the RV (that was parked next door) was on fire.”
Clemons later saw the smoke coming from both sides of the house and discovered flames coming out of the front door.
Pasadena Fire Marshal David Brannon said after hearing numerous witness statements it appeared that there was a lightning strike.
“After talking to everyone out here then going in and actually doing an origin of cause of the interior of the house, that does appear to be the most likely cause,” he said.
Concern arose after neighbors remembered an elderly person living at the house and they were not sure if the person was home at the time.
“There were reports that somebody may have been inside, but after doing a thorough search of the structure there was no one inside,” Brannon said.
Pasadena VFD Fire Chief Lanny Armstrong said when engine 81 arrived there was fire around the front door and heard the same reports about a woman being inside.
“(Engine) 81 got here and did a primary search really quick,” he said. “They did a good job.”
Neighbors also reported the power in the neighborhood flickered, but did return a short time later.
The house sustained damage from the fire.
“It did suffer pretty substantial damage to the structure in the attic area from where the actual lightning strike was and from the fire suppression operation in the living room area,” Brannon said. “The fire department did an excellent job as far as response and the fire suppression operation.”
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