CALDWELL, Idaho — On Wednesday morning, crews with the Caldwell Fire Department responded to a residential structure fire that was caused by lightning.
The inhabitants of the home, a husband and wife, were able to evacuate themselves, their two dogs, and their cat safely.
Neighbors offered critical support in terms of the evacuation effort while simultaneously spraying nearby homes with water to prevent the fire from spreading to other residences.
"People were yelling 'fire' and the house next door was on fire," recalled Lisa Schmidgall, a neighbor.
The lightning strike was so loud, "I thought a crane fell on my house," added Schmidgall. " Just a little bit over and that would've been my house."
The neighborhood didn't hesitate to act fast and help out.
"They all jumped in and helped pretty quickly. I came outside, and some guy was squirting down my house with my hose, and another guy was coming up to get car keys to get all of our cars moved," said Schmidgall.
Neighbors also helped make sure the family and their three pets made it out safely. Caldwell Fire Captain Matthew Potter said that lightning rarely causes house fires.
According to the Caldwell Fire Department, the fire ignited on the roof and spread to the attic, causing significant damage to the house.
The Caldwell Burnout Fund, which helps families displaced by fire, will assist the family financially, including helping to situate them in a hotel, while they deal with the aftermath of this natural disaster.
We will continue to update this story as more information becomes available.