Lightning strike sparks Sisters house fire

A Sisters house caught fire when it was struck by lightning during Sunday night’s thunderstorms, but fire officials said the family’s children noticed it even before the fire alarm sounded. They quickly told their parents, who called 911 and thus prevented more extensive damage.

Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District crews were dispatched to the blaze in the 500 block of South Pine Street shortly after 8 p.m., said Deputy Fire Chief Jeremy Ast.

Automatic mutual aid assistance from the Black Butte Ranch and Cloverdale fire districts also were dispatched, he said, while Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies, Sisters public works crews and Central Electric Cooperative assisted at the scene.

The first crews to arrive found smoke and flames visible on the roof of the two-story home that had taken a direct lightning strike from the thunderstorm, Ast said.

The homeowner had evacuated his family and was using a garden hose to help suppress the fire on the home exterior until crews arrived.

Firefighters were able to confine the fire to the area of origin, Ast said.

“The homeowner’s quick action to call 9-1-1 saved the home from more extensive damage,” Ast said in a news release.

“The home’s smoke detectors were in proper working order; however, the fire was noticed by the children of the homeowner before they activated,” the deputy chief said. “The quick action of the children to notify their parents by yelling ‘Fire!’ as they escaped the home serves as an important reminder of the importance of practicing fire escape drills in your home.”

The fire district urged everyone to have a home fire escape plan and to practice it regularly. Contact your local fire department for more information.