A lightning strike sparked a house fire in Glenn Heights, sending a cat to the animal hospital for treatment.
GLENN HEIGHTS, Texas — A family’s cat was taken by ambulance to an animal hospital on Thursday after a lightning strike sparked a house fire in Ellis County.
The blaze broke out just after 11:30 a.m. on West Milas Lane in Glenn Heights, prompting a response from the Glenn Heights Fire Department along with mutual aid from fire crews in Ovilla and Red Oak. Firefighters battled the flames for roughly an hour and a half before clearing the scene.
Officials believe lightning struck the peak of the home’s roof during a passing storm.
“During that time, there was a storm that blew through, so we suspect it was a lightning strike,” said Carlos Garza, a driver-engineer with the Glenn Heights Fire Department. “When we got here, there was smoke showing. We did a quick search and found out the homeowners were at work. They did have two pets in there.”
Garza said no people were inside the home when the lightning struck. Firefighters were able to rescue the family’s cat and dog. The cat was put on the Glenn Heights ambulance and given oxygen. It was transported to an animal hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation.
As of Thursday afternoon, officials had not released an update on the cat’s condition.