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Lightning strikes cause 2 separate fires in Johnson County

Posted at 4:44 AM, Aug 26, 2016
and last updated 2016-08-26 18:55:51-04

Firefighters confirmed two separate fires, one in Overland Park and one in Lenexa, were triggered by lightning strikes.

Gary Stauffer owns the house in Overland Park that caught fire around 3 a.m. Friday.

"I heard a huge crack of lightning and thunder and minutes later there was smoke and then fire shooting out of the attic,” Stauffer said.

The damage is estimated at $200,000.

Some residents at Park Edge Apartments in Lenexa are now looking for another place to live.

A lightning strike hit one apartment buildings around 12:15 a.m. Friday. Eight apartment units were damaged. The Red Cross was on the scene to assist people who have been displaced.

Residents spent Friday afternoon collecting any belongings they could salvage.

Fire investigators in Overland Park told 41 Action News building fires caused by lightning strikes are unusual -- perhaps only 3 to 5 a year.

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