Video shows lightning strike sparking blaze in Fort Lauderdale

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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Cellphone video showed a lightning strike starting a fire in a Fort Lauderdale neighborhood early Monday morning.

It happened just after 2 a.m. within the Villa Medici Townhomes, located in the 1000 block of Northeast 17th Avenue in the city’s Lake Ridge neighborhood.

The video shows the lightning striking a power line, sparking the blaze, which was quickly put out.

“Bolts of lightning were hitting all around. All of a sudden, you could hear that it hit something really close by, and you could hear the sizzling. When I looked out my door, I saw that it was across the street from me,” a resident, who identified herself as Terri, said. “You saw the orange sparks flying all over the place for a while, and then you’d see the flames, and you’d hear more pops going into it as it fed.”

None of the buildings caught fire but they did lose power. Power crews were still out Monday afternoon trying to restore electricity.

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About The Author
Roy Ramos

Roy Ramos

Roy Ramos joined the Local 10 News team in 2018. Roy is a South Florida native who grew up in Florida City. He attended Christopher Columbus High School, Homestead Senior High School and graduated from St. Thomas University.