FAYETTEVILLE (KFSM) -- Lightning is being blamed for starting a house fire in Fayetteville after storms rolled through Northwest Arkansas on Monday (July 25).
Nearly two dozen firefighters responded to the scene around 10:30 a.m. and had the flames knocked down after an hour.
Three people were inside the home at the time of the strike, said Mauro Campo, battalion chief for the Fayetteville Fire Department. They all made it out safely, but a family dog and cat were lost in the fire.
"The first thing we verify right when we get on scene is to make sure that everybody is out of the house," Campo said. "We verify that because it limits our search area. We still search, just to make sure, but when we have that verification, it's good."
Campos urged people to be alert when storms move through their area.
"When we have stormy conditions, be cognizant," Campo said. "If you feel lightning strike in your area, call 911 no matter what, just to check the house out."