APOPKA, Fla. — Firefighters in Apopka have confirmed that lightning strikes resulting from severe storms ignited four residential fires on Sunday evening.
Emergency response teams dedicated numerous hours to fighting fires sparked by lightning extending from Alexandria Place to Rock Hill Loop. Fire officials in Apopka say lightning caused all of the fires.
One of the homeowners whose house caught fire had a sibling who spoke with Channel 9 on Monday morning.
“When I came this morning, I thought there would be a house,” Carey Perdie said. “The only thing left here is the address.”
Perdie wasn’t at home when the fire started, but he said a neighbor called him around midnight to tell him about it. He immediately rushed over while firefighters were trying to put out the fire.
Perdie continued sadly, “There was mostly smoke and they were putting a lot of water on it. They say life is the most important thing. Fortunately, we have that.”
Fire crews had already responded to three other fires before lightning hit Perdie’s house.
At about 9 p.m., the first call came for two house fires on Alexandria Place. Less than an hour later, another lightning strike hit a home near Offaly Court.
One neighbor said the storms were so bad her baby was afraid to go to sleep.
“It was super scary,” Allison Keys said. “The thunder was super loud and it lasted for quite a long time.”
Another neighbor said he had his daughter stay the night so she wouldn’t have to drive in it.
“It was surreal,” Steve Preston said. “I thought it was a rocket launch.”
Authorities reported that two firefighters were injured during the incident, and both were transported to a hospital for medical treatment.
“The evening highlighted both the unpredictable dangers of severe weather and the coordinated response capabilities of Apopka Fire Departments working together to protect residents,” officials said.
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