Lightening Strikes "Quail Hollow"

While we were eating dinner tonight, we had a severe thunderstorm with hail and high winds. I was watching out of our kitchen window when lightening struck closer than I have ever seen in my life--and I have seen lots of lightening (thunderstorms are very common in the South). It was outlined with purple and flashed so close I blinked my eyes. There was a loud bang--a sound like no other. It was so close. I told my family it either hit one of those trees or the top of the neighbors house. We have some high trees between our house and the neighbors so I couldn't tell. Then we heard hail hitting our front porch and living room windows, so we all went to look. We were having quarter size hail. Then we came back to the kitchen and Jacob told us the top of the neighbors' house is on fire. Scott went running out to help and I called 911. Then Jacob said Mom, let's say a prayer. The kids and I went to my bathroom window to look out. The rain was coming down really hard and the wind was blowing fierce too --the pictures didn't come out very well--this is a picture of the flames when it first started:

I know it's not very clear, the rain is hitting our window--there are very high trees on our property right where the flames were so we were on the lookout to make sure that our trees did not catch fire as the wind was blowing fire balls from the flames. Scott made sure the lady had gotten out and they got 3 of her 4 animals out. They couldn't get one of the cats to come out from under the bed. It was a 26 lb. Tabby--we don't think he ever came out. The lady didn't even realize her house was on fire. She heard the lightening hit and a smoke alarm fell off of the wall upstairs. But until Scott and a neighbor told her, she didn't realize it. Scott got her computer from upstairs for her and asked what else to get out, but she was in shock and didn't know what to do. Her husband was not home from work. They are about my parents age, I would guess. She did not think that the house would burn down, but Scott told her it was moving fast, so she needed to get out what she wanted. She moved her 2 vehicles out to the road, so they were saved. The roof started burning quickly and from my window we could see edges of the house falling down into the trees and shrubs--our trees looked like they lit up a few times, but I think the rain helped put it out. I went out and pulled tree limbs from the edge of our lawn at the road, so firetrucks could park. It was still lightening really bad and I did have the thought I may get struck by lightening while trying to help. I did get very soaked even through my raincoat. The house burned to the ground within about 25 minutes. The volunteer firemen got here quickly along with an ambulance, but they didn't have any hoses so they couldn't do anything. The big fire trucks didn't get here for almost 50 minutes. We found out that the main road coming to our subdivision (Quail Hollow) had huge trees down across it and traffic was having to be diverted around to come in the back way--we're assuming this is what kept them from getting here sooner. Had they been able to get here sooner, they probably could have saved most of their house, at least the downstairs. Here are some pictures after they got most of it put out. This is of the front downstairs porch and frame--the whole inside is burned out.

This is a picture of the GA Power guy turning off the power and disabling the power lines going into their house.

They are still out there checking the property lines between our houses for stray embers and making sure it's all put out. When I was out there tonight, it kept flaming back up several times. Thankfully nobody was hurt. We have some tree limbs down all over our yard and on our cars--but no major damage. It has been quite the night!