Lightning Bolt Crashed Through Living Room, Tulsa Woman Says

A lightning strike started a house fire in southeast Tulsa.

The woman inside says the bolt came right through the living room, with a deafening sound - but she wasn't hurt.

Firefighters knocked down the flames quickly and moved on to clearing out the wet insulation from the attic. They got an early start because an off duty firefighter was down the street and ran to help when he heard the strike.

Another neighbor was outside - and heard the strike - two doors down.

Joe Watkins said he was standing out in his driveway and heard the boom. "It was very very loud. Scared me half to death" he said.

"Other than a little bit of insulation and water damage to the second floor, all of the fire damage was contained to the attic, said Tulsa Fire Department District Chief Douglas Carner.

No one has a closer view of what happened than Thanh Pham. She was in the living room, praying, when she says the lightning bolt came into  the house - right at her feet - then went around the front window.

"I was sitting on the sofa, and I pray. I saw the light come over to me, but not go through (me, it went) over the other way to the window."

She feels like God saved her, and is thankful for the neighbors who rushed over to help.

The fire department said the lightning was continuing as they arrived and for a time they didn't bring out their ladders because of the risk of another strike.