by SEAN KIMMONS
Lightning strikes from severe thunderstorms that recently rolled through Hays County charred two homes and struck two others, fire officials say.
Around 3:30 a.m. Saturday, lightning struck a Kyle home at 115 Claudell Drive in the Waterleaf subdivision. A fire ensued in the attic, eventually shooting 30-foot flames into the air.
The homeowner, Kiel Freeman, said that he heard a loud clap of thunder and the cable TV cut out. He and his wife, Kara, both in their mid-20s, then decided to go to bed, unaware that lightning had actually struck the home and flames were simmering in their attic.
While they slept, their dog Gunner, a four-month-old boxer, started to whine as he tried to wake them up. The Freemans didn’t realize the urgency until the smoke alarm went off.
“I woke up, got out of bed, went to the front of the house and saw the flames,” said Kiel Freeman.
He said that they escaped safely from the home, along with their two dogs.
Kyle Fire Department Battalion Chief Mike Vasil said about 25 firefighters from his department as well as Buda and South Hays fire departments were called out around 5 a.m. to help fight the fire.
“It took about 45 minutes to get under control,” he said.
The Freemans were moved out of harm’s way, only to watch their home burn up.
Above, flames spew out of the home at 115 Claudell Drive as firefighters tackle the blaze. Below, a demolition worker reduces the garage of the home in Kyle’s Waterleaf subdivision. Fire officials say that lightning caused the home to catch fire early Saturday morning. (Photo by Sean Kimmons)
“It’s still hard to believe that it happened,” Kiel Freeman said on Tuesday. “I’m looking at life in a whole new direction now.”
He and his wife, who moved into the home last September, managed to grab only their wedding photographs as they ran out the door, he said.
“The worst part is losing everything you own,” he said. “You take some things for granted.”
As he watched a demolition crew knock down the remaining skeleton of his home on Tuesday, he was still able to keep his sense of humor.
“When I build my next house I’m definitely going to have a lightning rod,” he said.
On Monday night, firefighters fought a second blaze caused by another thunderstorm near Dripping Springs. The fire started around 7 p.m. on the 15000 block of Fitzhugh Road, a few miles east of Ranch Road 12, and the home was a total loss, said Hays County Fire Marshal Mark Chambers.
“Both structures sustained a lighting strike that resulted in a fire in the attic area,” Chambers said.
No injuries were reported in either fire, he said.
Monday night’s storm also saw lightning strike two other homes in the Dripping Springs and Wimberley areas, resulting in only minor damage, he said.
Chambers added that lightning strikes on homes are common this time of year, but homes aren’t typically destroyed by them.
“It’s nothing new in Hays County,” he said of lightning strikes. “Most of them don’t cause total losses, though.”
Want to Help?
Those who would like to assist Kiel and Kara Freeman can donate to an emergency fund which has been set up under their names at Wells Fargo. The account number is 775-931-5208.
