SHARE

Stamford Couple Escapes Injury After Lightning Strike Starts Fire At Home

STAMFORD, Conn. -- Margareta Mysza was closing an upstairs window at her 317 Thornridge Drive home a little after 4 a.m. Tuesday in case of rain because she heard thunder. Within minutes, she heard a thunderclap and a saw lightning occur simultaneously.

Damage from a fire that started after lightning struck a Thornridge Drive home in Stamford early Tuesday morning. Firefighters had to rip into the room's ceiling in order to put the fire out.

Damage from a fire that started after lightning struck a Thornridge Drive home in Stamford early Tuesday morning. Firefighters had to rip into the room's ceiling in order to put the fire out.

Photo Credit: Frank MacEachern

What she didn't know, at least right away, was that lightning had struck her Stamford home and started a small fire.

"I was so sure it was out by the trees, but then our fire alarm started to beep a little bit saying that the alarm was broken because our phone line was immediately down," she said Tuesday. "Then I started to look around the house because we had to turn the alarm off and then came down to this room and started to smell smoke."

She called 911. By the time firefighters arrived, smoke was starting to fill the home. The firefighters put out a fire that was in the attic.

Neither she nor her husband, Joe, suffered any injuries. No firefighters were hurt.

Mysza said she is not sure whether she and her husband will remain in the home Tuesday because of the extensive damage, including electrical damage caused by the fire and the lightning strike.

The exact cause hasn't been determined, but the Stamford Fire Marshal said it appears to have been the lightning strike.

The home is north of the Merritt Parkway close to New Canaan.

to follow Daily Voice Stamford and receive free news updates.

SCROLL TO NEXT ARTICLE