Story Created:
Jul 7, 2011 at 12:51 AM EDT
Story Updated:
Jul 7, 2011 at 11:07 PM EDT
Lightning is believed to have started a house fire in northwest Bibb county as strong storms moved through Wednesday evening.
Strong storms erupted late Wednesday evening in northwest Bibb county. Torrential rainfall and frequent lightning were long-lasting as the storms moved at a snail's pace.
According to Battalion Chief James Wallace with the Macon-Bibb Fire Department, lightning is believed to have started a house fire in the Lake Wildwood community off of Zebulon Road in north Macon. The home, located on Palomino Court, suffered severe roof damage. Firefighters were forced to enter the house and climb through the attic to extinguish the blaze. The resident was home and escaped unharmed.
According to Wallace, numerous reports of fire alarms being activated due to lightning strikes were received by the department, including at the Lowe's Hardware on Zebulon Road.
According to StormTrack Central's Chief Meteorologist Jeff Cox, at the height of the storm, it was producing over 200 strikes of lightning per hour. He also warns that storms will be likely again Thursday afternoon and evening, with lightning one of the larger threats.
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