An east side residence was heavily damaged during a Tuesday night fire that began after the home was struck by lightning, authorities said.
It took nine Tucson Fire Department units and 23 firefighters to extinguish the blaze, in the 10100 block of East Karen Place, near East Broadway Boulevard and North Houghton Road, said Capt. Barrett Baker, a department spokesman.
Shortly before 9:30, fire crews were sent to the home, after multiple calls were made to 911 reporting smoke coming from the home. The resident told firefighters that he heard a huge thunder clap and lost power to his home momentarily, before it immediately came back on, Baker said.
The man went to bed, but smelled smoke a short time later. He went outside to investigate and saw flames coming from eaves in the roof. While neighbors were calling 911, the man tried to extinguish the fire with a garden hose, Baker said.
Fire crews entered the home downstairs and climbed onto the roof, successfully extinguishing flames both inside and outside of the house, Baker said.
It took 35 minutes to bring the fire under control, and the damage estimate to the home has yet to be determined. No one was injured in the blaze, Baker said.
