Florida Fire May Have Been Sparked By Lightning

July 11, 2006
Firefighters have been unable to get inside the enflamed house

Firefighters spent most of the day Tuesday battling a house fire in Brevard County that officials said was probably started by lightning.

The multimillion-dollar home is at 139 Lansing Island Drive in Indian Harbor Beach, WESH 2 News reported.

The fire burned for hours and it could be seen for miles.

Someone called 911 at about 9:30 a.m. and reported seeing a lightning strike hit the home.

The roof collapsed on the two-story home and firefighters were unable to get inside because of the collapse.

Images from Chopper 2 showed several fire trucks dousing the home with fire hoses. Firefighters from Indian Harbor Beach, Satellite Beach, Indialantic and Brevard County responded to the massive fire.

According to the Brevard County property appraiser's Web site, the 9,400-square-foot home is owned by Thomas and Kimberly Downs.

The home was built in 2001 and its market value is $2 million. The property features a guest house and a pool house.

Lansing Island is one of the most exclusive neighborhoods in Brevard County.

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