George, Iowa — The location of a fire call on Sunday night in George was a familiar one to George Fire Chief Bill Sprock. It was his own house at 501 South Sidney Street in George.
Sprock says that about 11 p.m., there was a very close lightning strike. He says the very loud bolt of thunder caused him to sit upright in bed, and he immediately heard a sizzling noise and soon smelled smoke. He says he heard a smoke alarm going off, and called 911 to have the rest of the fire department come to investigate.
When they got there, he says they used the thermal imaging camera to check for any hot spots, but they didn’t find any. He says there was no fire and no evidence of the lightning strike on the outside of the home.
But on Monday, Sprock says he started to notice electrical equipment that was not working, including a TV, a garage door opener, and a cable modem. He says he called an electrician on Monday, who says they may continue to encounter affected appliances for months.
Sprock says the fire department was on scene for about 45 minutes.
