TOWN OF JACKSON, Wis. — A house in the Town of Jackson was severely damaged late Wednesday night after lightning struck a nearby tree, traveled underground to a gas line, and caused an explosion in the garage.
Jackson Fire Department Chief Aaron Swaney said the garage is a total loss, and the rest of the house caught fire following the explosion. The home, located on the 3700 block of Division Road, is severely damaged but not a total loss, with an initial estimated $335,000 in property damage.
The home was unoccupied at the time. The homeowner's family said she recently moved to an assisted care facility, and they are thankful no one was hurt as they assess the damage.
The Washington County Sheriff's Office responded to the fire around 10:12 p.m. Neighbors reported hearing a loud boom before seeing smoke and flames. One neighbor used a fire extinguisher to put out some of the flames before crews arrived.
"Just all of a sudden, bang! Almost like something hit the house. It was unbelievable," Salvatore Bellante said. "We jumped out of bed because we thought for sure something got struck outside our house, it was so violent."
Bellante, who lives about a mile down the road, described the lightning strike as one of the loudest he has ever heard.
"It could’ve been an earthquake, like I said, the house shook!" Bellante said. "Shortly after that, we did hear sirens, and I understand a house got hit right down the road from us, which is very sad."
The Jackson Fire Department responded to the scene with assistance from Germantown, Newburg, Slinger, West Bend, St. Lawrence, Richfield, Fillmore, Kewaskum, Allenton, and Lifestar Ambulance. Upon arrival, crews found the fire had spread into the interior of the home.
The incident closed Highway 60 for about two and a half hours and Division Road for about three and a half hours.
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