FRANKLIN, Tenn. -
A lightning strike is believed to have sparked a fire at a Williamson County home as storms rolled through the area early Tuesday morning.
The fire started after a tree was struck by lightning just after 1 a.m. in the 1900 block of Sam Houston Court off Moran Road near Hillsboro Road in Franklin.
"I heard a sound that was like 100 shotgun blasts going off at the same time. It completely rattled the house [and] shook me to the core," homeowner Kim Kreid said.
Officials told Nashville's News 2 flames could be seen coming through the roof when they arrived on the scene.
The fire spread through an upstairs bedroom and consumed the roof of the two-story home.
"I looked upstairs and saw the flickering lights of the blaze and looked inside our sons' room and there was fire falling from the ceiling," Kim said.
Kim said her husband, Brent, had gotten their two sons asleep in a downstairs bedroom ahead of the storm.
The family of five was able to escape without injury.
It took crews about an hour to battle the flames.
Neighbors stepped up to assist the family and are letting them stay at their home for the time being.
The fire marshal is expected to consult with the National Weather Service to check lightning data to determine if that is what sparked the fire.
