KINGSTON, Pa. — Flames ripped through at a home along Heights Drive early Sunday in Kingston Township.
Fire officials tell Newswatch 16 the flames all started with a strike of lightning.
Residents throughout Kingston Township are in shock that lightning condemned this family home, including Jim Regan, who also lost his home to a fire years ago.
"Every time I hear of a fire, I relive that memory. And I just hope and pray that there's no injuries and death involved. But you know the memory never goes away," Regan said.
The saying goes lightning doesn't strike the same place twice, but that's not really the case.
This was the second house fire caused by lightning over the past two weeks in Kingston Township.
The first was on April 15 on Genoa Lane; the homes are just a five-minute drive apart.
"Thunderstorms and lightning are always dangerous, whether you're at your house or out on the golf course, or out at a baseball game, it's just scary," Regan said.
This coincidence is a reality check for many homeowners, including John Gyory, who spends his free time babysitting his grandkids in Kingston Township.
"You pray that it doesn't happen to you, but the fact that it happened just recently in two different locations close to each other, well you have to be mindful," Gyory said.
Gyory says the fires happening back to back opened his eyes to the power of thunder and lightning and how something like this can happen to anyone.
"There's no way to predict the lightning scenario, so it could happen to anybody. Nobody can say, 'Oh, this only happens in Kingston Township.' That's absolutely ridiculous; it can happen anywhere," Regan said.
The family living in the home on Heights Drive lost everything; people in this tight-knit community want to help.
The neighbors on heights drive have created a GoFundMe to help the family get back on their feet.
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