Lightning strikes homes on Vancouver Island during storm
Lightning storm sparks roof fire in Courtenay, B.C., and crews extinguished it safely See how crews handled the blast, flooding and outages across Vancouver Island
A severe lightning storm on Thursday night struck a home in Courtenay, B.C., on Vancouver Island, causing a roof fire that crews were able to extinguish safely.
Cooper Preston said he was upstairs when he saw a bright flash, heard a loud bang, and felt a shock in his leg. His mother, Angie, called 911 after learning another neighbour had reported the home was on fire.
Courtenay Fire Chief Kurt McDonald said the storm brought multiple emergency calls at once, along with flooding and some power outages caused by downed trees. Fire crews from Cumberland and the Comox Valley helped respond to the calls in Courtenay.