CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – A house in northeast Clarksville caught fire after being struck by lightning this afternoon during a vicious thunderstorm.
At approximately 4:24 p.m., Clarksville Fire Rescue firefighters responded to a house fire on Samantha Lane, off Tylertown Road, according to Michael Rios, assistant fire chief.
Neighbors witnessed lightning striking the house and the tree in the front yard.
Lightning appeared to have struck the tree and traveled to the gutter, Rios said. Electricity was conducted by any metal it could reach, which most of the chimney is comprised of, and fire spread to the back of the house.
Firefighters arrived with heavy smoke and fire coming from the back of the house. They were able to keep the fire under control and kept the damage to a minimum, considering the circumstances.
Nobody was home at the time, and there were no injuries.
Battalion 2 Units from Stations 11, 10, 9, and 1 responded to the scene.