Two Albemarle County homes were struck by lightning as a line of powerful thunderstorms moved through the area Friday night.
The first call to Albemarle County Fire Rescue was logged at 8:14 p.m. for a reported fire in a utility room in a home in the 400 block of Westmoreland Court.
The first arriving fire units arrived 11 minutes after dispatch to find damage caused by a lightning strike that hit the residence. The strike caused a fire that damaged walls near a water heater and a dryer vent hose and melted a water line that proceeded to spray water throughout the area, ultimately extinguishing the fire.
Responding fire units ensured the fire did not spread anywhere else and helped ventilate the home.
At approximately 8:28 pm, shortly after units were dispatched to Westmoreland Court, a second call for service for a lightning strike was received and dispatched to Old Oaks Spur.
Units arrived to find an outlet in a garage had shorted out by a lightning strike. Crews inspected the home and made sure there was no fire, which there wasn’t.
There are no injuries reported from either incident, and no one has been displaced.
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Chris Graham
