Early yesterday morning in Clearwater, as the sky betrayed its fury, a house at 1321 Murray Avenue was set ablaze by a lightning strike. According to FOX 13 News, Clearwater Fire Rescue responded to the emergency at approximately 5:45 a.m. and discovered that the lightning had struck the property's rear deck, igniting the inferno. These findings were further corroborated by statements obtained by ABC Action News, which confirmed the fire's origin on the rear deck following a preliminary investigation.
Thankfully, the residents managed to escape unharmed before the arrival of the firefighters, a stroke of luck amidst the hurling chaos of nature's whim. Nearly two dozen rescue units, as reported by WFLA News, arrived at the scene and, in a concerted effort, battled to keep the flames from spreading to other sections of the home.
A Clearwater Fire & Rescue Department spokesman, Rob Shaw, was interviewed by WFLA News, where he detailed that early indicators pointed to lightning strikes as the probable cause of the fire. Shaw described the multiple units' swift response and how they collectively managed to control the fire, preventing broader devastation. During the turmoil, it was fortunate that no civilian or firefighter injuries were reported as they worked through the precarious early morning.
