The home at 302 W Yacht Drive on Oak Island was deemed “a total loss,” and was unoccupied at the time of the fire, officials said.
Oak Island Fire Department photo
Oak Island on the North Carolina coast was bombarded by lightning in the dark, resulting in three homes being struck within minutes of each other, according to Oak Island Fire Department.
One home burned and two sustained damage, officials said in a news release.
It happened late Wednesday, May 8, as multiple waves of severe thunderstorms crossed the state. Oak Island is about a 160-mile drive southeast of Raleigh.
“At 9:12 p.m. the Oak Island Fire Department was dispatched to a call regarding a lightning strike at a home on NE 4th Street in Oak Island. This home sustained some property damage, which did not result in a fire,” officials said.
“At 9:14 p.m. crews were dispatched to a second call of a lightning strike, this time resulting in an active structure fire at 302 W Yacht Drive. … As this fire was being contained, crews were dispatched to a third call regarding a lightning strike. … This home sustained some minor damage, but did not result in a fire.”
All three strikes occurred within a seven-block radius, officials said.
The home at 302 W Yacht Drive was deemed “a total loss,” and was unoccupied at the time of the fire, officials said.
No injuries were reported among the three calls.
A weather advisory had been issued Wednesday for the island, forecasting “multiple waves” of lightning, gusts up to 60 mph and large hail, Oak Island police said.
“The average lightning bolt carries about 30,000 amps of charge, has 300 million volts of electric potential, and is about 50,000°F,” the National Weather Service says.