NORTH LAUDERDALE, Fla. – A possible lightning strike sparked a fire at several North Lauderdale townhomes.
It happened Sunday afternoon near the intersection of Rock Island Road and Northwest 62nd Street.
Two units were totally destroyed, and two others were badly damaged, according to firefighters.
Authorities believe it was a lightning strike that led to the fire.
A total of 12 people have been impacted by the fire but no injuries were reported.
Resident Sabine Baptiste told Local 10 News’ Bridgette Matter that she was trying to call 911 but did not get an answer while trying to collect belongings and get out of the house safely.
“I’m calling 911, no one is answering and we’re waiting for someone to pick up, and in the meantime we’re trying to gather our stuff so we can run out,” said Baptiste.
Residents reported hearing a loud boom just before their homes began filling with smoke.
While it’s believed that the cause of the fire was a lightning strike, an investigation remains ongoing.
GoFundMe pages have been started to help some of the residents, including one for Baptiste, which can be found by clicking here, and another for neighbor Donna McCully, which can be found by clicking here.