Westmoreland County home now uninhabitable after lightning strike causes fire

UNITY TOWNSHIP, Pa. (KDKA) - As Wednesday morning's storm rolled through Westmoreland County, a flash of lightning started a fire at a family's home. The Pleasant Unity fire chief told KDKA that flames broke out after lightning struck the chimney of a house in Unity Township.

Thankfully, those inside heard it and escaped because they didn't have working smoke detectors.

Rain was pouring down as flames erupted from a house on Lentz Road. Feet away, Susan Mough woke up to the weather.

"I heard the storm, heard the thunder, the lightning, the hard rain, and then I heard a loud clap of lightning," Mough said.

That clap is what Pleasant Unity Fire Chief John Bacha said caused the fire to start around 3:30 a.m. Wednesday.

"This was a 160-year-old farmhouse that was part of the original Lentz Farm, which is now Glengarry Golf course," Bacha said.

When crews arrived, they found heavy smoke coming from the second-floor bedroom.

Within minutes, it turned into flames.

The homeowner told KDKA she, her husband, and her daughter got out with one of their cats. Firefighters rescued another, but it died from smoke inhalation.

While on scene, firefighters found evidence of a lightning strike.

"There were bricks that fell from the chimney that were embedded into the grass, which was perfectly manicured," Bacha said. "There was a ground wire that was apparently burned off from the lightning rod also."

Bacha said the family is lucky to be alive since their smoke detectors weren't working.

"Thank goodness the lightning woke them up," Bacha said.

Mough said she's grateful too, knowing you can't control Mother Nature.

"I'm very glad that no one was hurt," Mough said.

Bacha said the fire marshal will not be investigating any further.

Bacha urges you to have smoke detectors on all levels of your home. If you need help, reach out to your local fire department.