The Woodlands, Texas (Montgomery County Monitor) - Just before 4:00 p.m. on Monday afternoon, The Woodlands Fire Department was dispatched to a residential fire on Bauer Point Court in Creekside Village.

Initial 911 calls indicated flames were visible from the roof of the 4300 square foot home.

The first firefighters on scene reported heavy smoke from a two story residential structure.  Personnel from The Woodlands Fire Department and Spring Fire Department spent several hours containing and extinguishing the blaze.

Harris County Fire Marshal’s Office investigators believe the fire started from a direct lighting strike to the home.  According to witnesses, a bolt of lightning hit a tree near the home a few minutes before the home itself was struck.  Visual inspection of the tree showed damage along the entire length of the trunk.

The homeowners were inside the structure when the lightning hit.  The force of the bolt caused electrical circuit breakers to trip and the residents could smell an electrical burning odor.  According to the fire marshals, the homeowner inspected several areas of the home including the attic, but did not see any smoke.

At some point thereafter, neighbors, and possibly the homeowners, dialed 911 reporting fire from the roof of the house.

Two witnesses who dialed 911 had different views on the efficiency of the 911 emergency system in this particular case.  One witness thought the response time of the fire department was adequate and believed the response of the 911 system was appropriate and sufficient.  However, a nearby neighbor, Kevin McMahon, questioned the response time of the fire department and was displeased with the responses he received while accessing the 911 system(See McMahon video above).

No one was injured in the fire.

Related Posts