Gwinnett home catches fire after being struck by lightning

A Grayson home caught fire Monday evening after being struck by lightning, Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services said.

The residents, a married couple, heard a loud boom and felt their house shake around 6:30 p.m. Monday. They called 911 immediately, and soon after found smoke filling the attic and coming from the home’s chimney, said Capt. Tommy Rutledge, a department spokesman, in a release.

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The couple safely exited the house before firefighters arrived. Crews found a fire burning inside the chimney and on the side of the house. They were able to quickly stop the flames from spreading, Rutledge said.

Firefighters determined the fire’s cause was a lightning strike from a thunderstorm that was passing through the Grayson area on Monday. If a lightning strike is believed to have hit a home, residents should first check their attic and basement, and then electrical outlets if no smoke or flames are found.