Tragedy strikes: Lightning destroys Maricopa County home
TOLLESON, Ariz. - A Maricopa County family's home was destroyed after being struck by lightning during the Valley's first major monsoon storm.
Witnesses described seeing a "ball of fire" after the lightning hit.
The patriarch of this family built this home from the ground up, and now, three years later, devastation has hit.
What we know:
The flames are gone, but the fire alarm still rings near 122nd and Southern avenues. The embers are now settled, and the roof was left caved in on half the home.
"As soon as we ran out, we just saw a bunch of smoke coming from the back, from all sides. It was bad," a neighbor said.
Neighbors ran to help as the family of six barely escaped the flames.
"She told us, she said, ‘We were having trouble getting out.’ She's like, ‘I could not open the doors. I was screaming like, I can't get out.' That's when she realized the garage was open, ran out that way," a neighbor said.
The home's inside is covered in ash.
"You could see the drapes just dropping off, on fire and dropping off the windows. It was so hot and there was so much smoke, and it was just unbelievable," a neighbor named Judy Cutitta said. "It sounded like a big bomb and I was like, ‘Boy, that was close."
"Even though it was my neighbor's house that caught fire and burned to the ground, that is a devastating thing to watch. It really is," Cutitta said.
Neighbors experienced the same tragedy
It was just two years ago that the family across the street lost their home in a fire.
"I saw us and them, like you can tell, they were so sad. Things burn and you can't get them back. There are memories and the hard work to build the house, and now we know the process. So I know that we can probably guide them a little bit," a neighbor said.
Map of the area where the fire broke out
Dig deeper:
It was a challenge for Rural Metro Fire crews as there are not any fire hydrants. For a fire this size, they brought in water trucks from Phoenix, Goodyear, Avondale and Tolleson.
Neighbors say they will now be signing up for Rural Metro fire services after this incident.
Rural Metro Fire is a non-governmental fire department. It provides emergency services to unincorporated communities in Arizona, as well as other states.
"Instead of funding from taxes, we rely on annual Rural Metro Fire memberships to provide professional training, vehicles and equipment for services in your community. We do not receive any money from Fire District Assistance Tax listed on your property tax statement. That money goes to other fire districts outside of Rural Metro Fire’s service area," the department said.
If you'd like to learn more and sign up for services, you can click here.