Crime & Safety
Lightning Strike Causes House Fire in Waleska
The homeowners were out shopping at the time of the storm which destroyed their home.
A Waleska home was destroyed by fire on Wednesday afternoon as a result of a storm rolling through the area, authorities say.
Cherokee County Fire Investigator Ashley Cornelison said that the fire was apparently caused by a lightning strike. He also stated that a large tree about 50 feet from the house was destroyed by a lightning strike.
Around 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, a man who lives in the 900 block of Land Road heard the lightning strike and went to check his neighbor's house. He discovered the house was on fire and immediately called 911.
Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services was dispatched to Waleska to battle the blaze. According to Brian Ward, one of the first firefighters to arrive on the scene, smoke was billowing out from the front door of the house and flames were visible through the windows.
Despite the best efforts of the crews sent to Land Road, the house was totally destroyed by the fire.
The owners of the home were shopping in Canton during the storm. One of the homeowners said he saw the lightning storm make its way through Waleska while they were shopping.
No injuries were reported in the blaze, but a section of Land Road was shut down while crews cleaned up the area.
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