GWINNETT COUNTY - A lightning strike at a Gwinnett County home left a family displaced on Sunday afternoon.
According to Justin Wilson of the Gwinnett Fire Department, units responded to a residence in the 1900 Block of Green Gables Circle at approximately 1:45 p.m..
According to Wilson, "Fire crews arrived on scene and found a two-story, wood-frame residence with smoke and flames showing from the second floor on the front-left side of the home. The occupants of the home had safely evacuated."
"The majority of fire damage was contained to the second floor bedroom on the affected corner of the home. Crews noticed extensive electrical damage to outlets throughout the home and checked thoroughly for any additional fire or hot spots," Wilson added.
Residual smoke and water from hose lines caused minor damage throughout the home. No injuries were reported.
Wilson said occupants of the residence were notified by smoke alarms and the cries of a neighbor advising the house was on fire. A total of seven people, including three adults and four children, are displaced from the residence due to the damage. The American Red Cross is on scene and providing assistance.
The lightning strike also caused peripheral damage according to Wilson, as a water main in the front yard to ruptured in two places as the high voltage surged through the front yard. "The closest hydrant to the scene was found inoperable and a secondary water source was secured without interrupting firefighting efforts."
A Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources representative on the scene said the broken water main affected nearly 60 homes in the neighborhood. Jackson EMC also reported several homes in the area were without power.
