Crime & Safety
Lightning Sparks 2 House Fires During Thunderstorm That Rumbled Across Howard County
A house and a townhome caught fire after lightning hit both during a thunderstorm that barreled across Howard County.
COLUMBIA, MD — A severe thunderstorm that swept across the county Tuesday generated lightning that struck two houses and sparked fires.
Shortly before 5 p.m., firefighters were dispatched to the 6200 block of Cricket Pass for a report of a house fire caused by a lightning strikes. Firefighters from Stations 14 and 7 arrived to find to find smoke and found a fire on the roof. The fire was extinguished within 15 minutes and the residents, who were not home at the time, were not be displaced. The Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue, along with the Office of the Fire Marshal, investigated the fire, officials noted.
As firefighters battled the rooftop blaze at the Cricket Pass house, a townhouse fire was ignited by lightning in the 10400 block of Faulkner Ridge Circle. Units from Stations 11, 6 and 8 arrived to find a small fire in the basement and extinguished the fire within 10 minutes. Three adults were displaced and will be assisted by the American Red Cross, the fire department reported.
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