UPDATED: Lightning Strikes Arnold Home, Causes Fire
The home had two occupants, who made it out without injury.
Photos
Update (1:35 p.m.)—Anne Arundel County Fire Department Batallion Chief Steve Thompson said 20 firefighters responded to the house fire, and one firefighter was injured and treated at an area hospital. It took firefighters about three hours to fully contain the fire, Thompson said.
A bolt of lighting started a house fire at about 5 p.m. Wednesday in Arnold, just as a thunderstorm swept through Maryland.
Edward Thomas and his wife, Joyce, have lived in their home in the 800 block of Clifton Avenue in Arnold for more than 50 years.
He and his wife were downstairs cooking an early dinner when lightning struck the corner of their roof.
"There was a flash, and then what looked like fireworks," Thomas said. "I went out back to see what had happened and just saw sparks and flame."
Thomas then told his wife they had to get out of the house, and tracked down their dog to make a safe escape. He called 911 and soon more than six fire trucks lined Clifton Avenue dousing the flames with water, on top of the downpour of rain from the storm rolling through Maryland.
As firefighters continued to put out small flames upstairs, Thomas took a tour of the wreckage downstairs. Water from fire hoses had damaged his kitchen, which he said was recently refurbished.
"This was all new," he said. "There's thousands of dollars worth of stuff here, all water damaged and ruined."
Upstairs, Thomas said he had a miniature Christmas village, something "straight out of a Charles Dickens novel," which he had been amassing from various curios shops around the state.
I told him maybe it survived. He wasn't so hopeful.
For now, Thomas said he and his wife will be living out of his daughter's home in Cape St. Claire.
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Safety first
9:22 pm on Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Ok let me get this right. This guy go's back into the house as the firefighters are fighting the fire on the second floor. Then he complains that the water the firefighters used to save his home damaged his kitchen. Wow! Some people are just as ungrateful as they can be. I guess next he will want to bring a law suit against the county for water damage.
D. Frank Smith
9:07 am on Thursday, July 19, 2012
I was there with him as he walked through the wreckage of his home. He was distraught at everything being ruined by the incident, but he certainly never uttered a word against the firefighters, who saved the remainder of his home. People get emotional in these times. You have to put it in context with the scenario.
Kathy sims
10:28 pm on Wednesday, July 18, 2012
I don't think that's what he meant...
Marc Tippin
7:42 am on Thursday, July 19, 2012
Agreed. I think this poor guy and his wife have every reason to feel upset. He didn't direct it at the firefighters themselves, and never said he was ungrateful, just upset that it was "damaged" and "ruined".
bethany hooper
11:16 am on Thursday, July 19, 2012
_ don' know who Albert Jamesis...but he must be a man with no sympathy or compassion towards other people. Taking things out of context....not taking into consideration the man was obviously upset. A shame that people always have something negative to say. I myself am vey thankful nobody got hurt.
W. L.
12:50 pm on Thursday, July 19, 2012
I so agree. Why would Albert Jones even remotely think about making such a terrible negative comment about someone in distress. I don't think anyone would look at it as Jones described. Good grief, the man was distraught just as anyone would be and certainly about what the storm caused - not the firefighters. It is a shame, I agree. I just wonder what these people's lives are like, who make these kinds of comments. Sounds miserable.
Steve Wood
2:14 pm on Thursday, July 19, 2012
Frank Smith, author of article, may want to rephrase the sentence: "As firefighters continued to put out small flames upstairs, Thomas took a tour of the wreckage downstairs." -Why?- Because I am quite certain that our FireFighters would NOT allow anyone back into the house while they were STILL dousing flames on the 2nd floor. My belief is that the FF's took all precautions before clearing the building for egress by anyone. So really no hating on Albert Jones. We just {all} need to take care in both writing our words,... and reactions when reading them.
D. Frank Smith
2:35 pm on Thursday, July 19, 2012
I appreciate the attention to detail here. but firefighters were fighting the fire from 5:30 p.m.-8:40 p.m. Thomas and I walked through his kitchen while firefighters were upstairs at about 6 p.m. The major flames were put out within minutes of firefighters arriving. But small flames cropped up from time to time.
Steve Wood
3:07 pm on Thursday, July 19, 2012
Sounds like you reported accurately Frank. Thank you for your attention to detail. I'm hoping the FF's actually approved you & Mr Thomas going inside. I'm also guessing there was no damage to 2nd floor joist. But Wow, still daring to enter with all of that going on in the house (& lucky). Small flames cropping up from time-to-time?! - exciting on-the-scene reporting for you eh! .... but not so exciting for the Thomas family.
In the end, I am so sorry to hear of their loss. Fire is something I definitely fear. And those lightening strikes were intense.
On a proactive note: One of the TV News Broadcasts reported on additional grounding methods for our homes (beyond the BGE ground). Something to consider.
D. Frank Smith
3:13 pm on Thursday, July 19, 2012
That's good information on the grounding, thanks. I'll look into that.
As to me going inside, I was pretty reluctant. Small things were falling from the ceiling still, water dripping. Ed kept wanting to show me his kitchen though. He invited me, so I obliged him with a few cautious steps inside.