'Boom! Boom!': Apopka mom, daughter home when lightning hits tree, sparks house fire

'Boom, boom!' | Lightning hits tree, sparks house fire

Lightning is believed to have sparked at least two house fires in Apopka, Florida. Strong showers and thunderstorms moved through the area on Thursday. FOX 35's Marie Edinger talked with both families about what they heard, saw, and felt.

APOPKA, Fla. - A Florida family had to escape their home after it caught fire from a suspected lightning strike on Thursday in Orange County, Florida.

FOX 35 talked with the family on Friday and was able to see the damage firsthand. Siding on the home is charred in spots, melted, or ripped off the home entirely.

Most importantly, no one was seriously hurt and the Apopka Fire Department was able to get control of the fire quickly, officials said.

What we know:

The lightning strike and fire were reported on Thursday afternoon as spotty showers and thunderstorms were moving across Central Florida, partly impacted by a potential tropical disturbance that was moving east of Florida at the time.

Firefighters responded and were able to get control of the fire, preventing further damage, a spokesperson for the Apopka Fire Department told FOX 35 in a statement.

The family told FOX 35's Marie Edinger that lightning hit a tree feet away from the home – and then it spread.

‘Boom! Boom!’

What they're saying:

"I just heard a ‘boom boom,'" said Kimberly Mondragon, who ran out of the home with her daughter, Bianca. 

"I just got a little upset. I was crying because the house was on fire," said Bianca.

Kimberly's roommate, Connie Cobb, said she was outside when the thunderstorm passed through. She said she felt the electric shock. 

"It was like an electric shock just going through your body," she said. "It was so bad and my phone fell out of my hands."

She said paramedics checked her out that night and that she declined to go to the hospital. On Friday, she said she was feeling OK. 

James Moffett, who lives near where the suspected strike happened, was inside at the time, but he said the flash lit up the inside of his room.

"My wife, she hates lightning. She screamed. I mean, ah! I mean really."

Scott Holsonback was across the street and outside at the time, he said.

"BAM! It hit and I thought it was like right here," he said, pointing to the ground. It sounded like an Abrams tank firing off. I mean it was ‘boom.’ It shook the house."

What's next:

The American Red Cross said it is in contact with the family and offering support where it can. 

Kimberly said she needs to wait for the insurance process to get started. For now, their power has been turned off.

"Once the insurance clears, we'll know more about what's our next step," Mondragon said. "But right now, it's up in the air."