Homes set ablaze by lightning as storm pummels southeast Calgary

Lightning from thunderstorms in Calgary appears to have set at least one house on fire in the city's southeast.

Fire crews battled a pair of house fires early Tuesday evening in the southeast community of Sundance.

Lightning struck both of the homes.

The Calgary Fire Department (CFD) raced to the area just after 5 p.m.

The homes struck by lightning are just around the corner from each other — the first is on Sunmount Close S.E., and the other is on Sun Valley Drive S.E.

Firefighters were able to knock the fire on Sunmount Close S.E. down quickly. CFD public information officer Alex Kwan said that blaze had ruptured and set fire to a gas line, which fire crews managed to contain.

ATCO gas crews responded to the scene as well, Kwan said.

CFD confirmed the first home suffered damage to its exterior. Nobody was home at the time of the blaze.

Meanwhile, at the second home, the extend of the damage is unclear. CFD says fire crews knocked down a fire in a second floor bedroom before they found fire in the walls and attic space.

CFD says the fire was extinguished and a fire watch crew remains on scene.

Two people were inside the home when the fire began, who proceeded to flee.

EMS said there had been no reports of injuries.

‘Quite shocking’

The fires happened as a brief but fierce storm rolled through the southeast end of the city.

One witness who spoke with CTV News says he was driving along Sunmount Close S.E. when he saw lightning strike a tree and spray debris all over the road.

“It was quite shocking. It shook my vehicle, it made my heart jump,” said a man who gave his name as Eric.

“I’ve never seen anything like that in a residential area.”

The same storm system was responsible for major flash flooding in several neighbourhoods in southeast Calgary.

Seton, Cranston and Auburn Bay are some of the communities that took on water.

CFD responded to several scenes in the area.

The summer storm also produced small hail.

The full extent of damage caused by the system across the city is not known yet.