Mar. 19, 2013 – After yesterday’s storms in parts of north Georgia, lightning caused at least two house fires in the area.

The first was at around 6:20 AM in Hall County.

Hall County firefighters responded to a house on Old Dahlonega Highway for what is believed to have been a fire caused by a lightning strike.

According to Hall County Fire Chief David Kimbrell, the 5,000-square foot home had heavy fire showing from the rear of the building when emergency workers arrived on scene.

While the entire family that occupied the home was able to escape safely and without incident, Kimbrell noted that there was a fatality as a result of the fire, saying, they did locate a family pet that was deceased in the fire; the cat was located in the basement area, that took the brunt of the damage.

The second fire from Monday, according to the Gwinnett County Fire Captain Tommy Rutledge was on Bogan Bluff Lane Northeast.

Rutledge said firefighters found smoke in the attic of the two-story house and got the fire under control prior to 7:30 p.m.

Rutledge said the 911 caller was a passerby who alerted the occupants of the smoke: “The occupants reported a loud boom, a brilliant flash of lightning.

There was a knock on the door by a passerby who saw smoke coming from the house that also helped to alert the occupants.”

Everyone escaped the house, and no injuries were reported.