No one was home Thursday afternoon when fire broke out at a home on Lady Slipper Lane in West Knox County. But what made it an odd occurrence for Rural/Metro firefighters was the cause of the blaze: lightning.
"Storms like this could pop up and not show on the radar as a 'formed cell' and that's what happened here," said Rural/Metro battalion chief Rick Herrell.
According to the National Weather Service, about 4,400 house fires caused by lightning are reported annually.
One firefighter said seeing this kind of blaze is "once in a blue moon."
"The fire damage is pretty extensive in the attic area, but a lot of times in structures like this, in an attic fire, because of a lightning strike, you're able to get to it pretty quickly," Chief Herrell added.
No one inside the burning home was inside at the time, but it did stir up attention in the neighborhood.
"My mom actually jumped up and got scared, sounded like a cannon going off," said Laim Schenk, 13.
His mom, Maureen, added, "But a to dig a hole and cause a fire-- never seen that before."
One firefighter suffered minor injuries while fighting this blaze, but is expected to be fine.
The Red Cross will be assisting the family, who is not returning home at the time due to damage to their roof.