Feb. 29--Neighbors said they heard a loud explosion and saw tree limbs fly everywhere on Luna Lake Road this morning when a bolt of lightning struck trees and a shed.
The lightning strike caused a fire that spread to a nearby house.
"I thought it was a tornado," said neighbor Linda Lewis. "I was in the kitchen and stuff just began flying everywhere. I'd never seen anything like it."
The man and woman who lived in the house made it out before the fire spread -- with their dog -- and suffered no injuries.
Danville Fire Department Chief Dallas Swiney said when crews arrived at the scene there was heavy smoke engulfing the neighborhood. Firefighters went into the house but they heard a loud explosion in the basement causing them to retreat.
At 10:15 a.m. Swiney said the fire was under control but crews had still not been able to advance inside the house to see the damage or find out what the explosion was.
Swiney said the cause was a bolt of lightning that struck nearby trees and a shed, but at 10:30 a.m. crews were still on the scene.
Copyright 2012 - Danville Register & Bee, Va.
