FENTON, Mo. — A lighting strike in Fenton forced a family out of their home Wednesday night.
The family smelled wood burning and saw their roof was in flames.
The three people inside quickly ran out and called 911 just before 11 p.m.
"I mean it's just crazy,” Adam Schmidt said looking at the aftermath of his neighbor’s destroyed home.
The roof of the house near Smizer Mill Road went up in flames at the height of Wednesday night’s storms.
"I heard the sirens last night going off around 11, looked out the window and couldn't tell what was going on,” Schmidt said.
Firefighters say lightning is to blame.
"We never know when it's going to strike,” Fenton Fire Battalion Chief James Watkins said.
The fire department arrived in less than 10 minutes, working to contain the fire so it wouldn’t spread to the front of the home or to those around it.
They made contact with the homeowner.
"He could see the flickering of the flames through the window. They went out to investigate and the roof in the back of the house was on fire,” he added.
In a hurry, the homeowner tells 5 On Your Side he ran to his 19-year-old son who was awake at the time. He, his son and his wife were all able to get out.
They grabbed one of their three cats. Fortunately, firefighters were able to get the other two out and get the fire under control within 20 minutes.
Thursday, the family was comforted by friends and neighbors as they retrieved their valuables.
"They did not stay there the remainder of last night and they will not be staying there for several weeks,” Watkins said.
Although their home is severely damaged, they’re glad they were able to escape.
"This could happen to anyone, any house…Never would expect it but here we have this house like that. It's just crazy…Just pray and hope for that family that they will have peace in the coming days and that they'll be able to recover as much as they can,” Schmidt added.
The family will be staying with loved ones in Ballwin. A home next door has damage to its siding from the heat of the heavy flames.