Lightning Sparks Norwalk House Fire, Firefighter Injured

Local firefighters battled an intensely scary situation late Monday afternoon (August 19) when lightning struck a home, reportedly causing some serious chaos.

According to the Norwalk Fire Department, crews responded to a home on Richlee Rd. in Norwalk just before 5:00 PM on the report of a lightning strike.

As the NFD was en route, things escalated at the residence when the fire was upgraded to a working structure fire. When they arrived, the firefighters found that the blaze had engulfed the rear corner and was making its way inside of home itself. Thankfully, the man who was inside of the home at the time of the lightning strike was able to make a safe exit with both of his dogs in tow.

While some of the firefighters fought the blaze inside, which by then had made its way into the kitchen, dining room and living room, other members of the crew took care of what is being described as a 40-foot fireball caused by the pressure from a 120-gallon propane tank located against the rear of the home. They were reportedly able to keep the tank cool long enough for all of the propane to be expelled through the relief valve.

The report says that the fire itself was placed under control around 5:25 PM, about 35 minutes after the initial response. The fire crews were able to leave the scene by 7:00 PM.

Unfortunately, the successful call was not without incident, and one firefighter was injured when a ceiling fan fell and temporarily knocked him unconscious. He was reportedly removed from the home by his fellow firefighters before being transported to Norwalk Hospital. As of this writing, the injured firefighter had undergone tests at the hospital and was in good spirits.

While the Norwalk home has been deemed unfit for living, the Red Cross has made arraignments for the two occupants of the home, their two dogs and a cat that found unharmed by firefighters.

Here's a look at photos from the scene that were published by the Norwalk FD: