Florida fire officials believe three lightning bolts striking at the same time ignited townhomes.
A dozen North Lauderdale residents were left homeless after the Sunday blaze.
Sabine Baptiste told Local 10 that she was trying to call 911 but did not get an answer while trying to collect belongings and get out of the house safely.
“I’m calling 911, no one is answering and we’re waiting for someone to pick up, and in the meantime we’re trying to gather our stuff so we can run out,” she said.
Broward County officials said they would investigate the woman's claims.