Lightning rips open Canton home

CANTON, Mich. (WXYZ) -  

A lightning strike rips open a house in Canton, frying the side of home and filling the interior with smoke.

It happened on the 43100 block of Applewood around 7 a.m. Thursday.

12-year-old Shelby Szpara was inside the house where the lightning hit. She spoke to us with her mother’s permission. Shelby was asleep when she heard a loud bang.

“I heard a really loud boom. I thought the TV had fallen off the stand or something,” Shelby told Action News.

The working theory is the lightning bolt hit a tree in the backyard, traveled down through it and then somehow jumped into the gas or electric lines that connect with the house.

The current blew out the gas and electric meters mounted on the back of house and set them on fire.

Thankfully no one was hurt, but the mess is going to take a long time to clean up, and house may have to be rewired.