Lightning Causes Several Fires In Metro
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Sunday night's storms are responsible for a handful of fires across the metro.
A family in Edina, Minn. had some scary moments after lightning hit a gas meter at their home.
Firefighters were called to 73rd Avenue and Schey Drive and they found the gas meter on the side of the house on fire. Crews said lightning hit a tree then moved the gas meter.
"As the storm moved in, a tree in the front yard was struck by lightning. We figured the lighting traveled down into the front yard and ruptured the gas line and meter on the exterior of the house," said Tom Schmitz, battalion chief of the Edina Fire Department.
They put water on the fire but then had to dig up the lawn in order to shut the gas off.
"It probably took a good hour and a half for the gas companies to get to that line and shut it off," said Schmitz.
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A bedroom in the home was damaged and a couple of windows are boarded up, but firefighters got the situation under control and everyone got out OK.
In St. Paul, firefighters believe lightning is also responsible for a garage fire on the 800 block of Raymond Avenue.
The fire started on the roof of the garage, but crews said the damage is minor.
No one was hurt in that fire.
