Firefighters determine the cause of a Thursday home fire in Belpre.
Mike Chevalier with the Little Hocking Volunteer Fire Department says lightning struck a tree about 20 feet away from the home. The bolt traveled underground and found its way to the electrical wiring of the house.
The largest fire was in the basement but Chevalier says smaller fires broke out in other rooms as well. Chevalier says the house is not livable because of the large amounts of smoke and heat damage, adding that the cost of the damage is estimated at $100,000.
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A fire tears through a Belpre home Tuesday afternoon.
Neighbors say they heard a loud boom during the storm, leading them to believe that lightning is the cause.
The initial call of the fire came in a little before 3:00 Tuesday afternoon of a possible basement fire on Mill Branch Road in Belpre.
Neighbors say they heard a loud noise and then saw smoke coming from the home. They think a bolt of lightning may have struck the house.
No one was home at the time, only a dog, who was able to escape through a doggy door.
Belpre, Little Hocking, and Dunham Fire Departments responded.
Right now, there's no official cause.
