A volunteer firefighter's home on Hemp Lane in Hicksville was struck by lightning and caught fire during an overnight thunderstorm that rolled through the area, according to Eyewitness News ABC7.
The lightning hit the house just after three in the morning, and the strike set the home ablaze as the storm moved overhead.
Neighbors described a violent scene, saying the house burst into flames after being hit and that the strike was so powerful it knocked one resident out of bed. They recalled it as fast, loud and bright, like heavy rolling thunder right above them.
One neighbor said the blast was so loud it shook the house, and that fire trucks lined the block after the roof of the home caught fire.
Fifty firefighters from six departments responded to the scene, according to Nassau County Chief Fire Marshal Michael Utero.
Utero said investigators used several apps that track active lightning strikes to help pinpoint where lightning hit, and that was partly how they confirmed lightning was the cause of the fire. He added that there was also damage to a gas line in the home that showed evidence of lightning.
The fire in the attic of the two-story house was put out in about 25 minutes. A neighbor credited working smoke detectors with helping to save the resident's life, saying that without them the outcome could have been far worse.