Officials: Lightning sparks house fire northeast Atlanta

ATLANTA (FOX 5 Atlanta) - The storm was brief but the damage significant to one property in northeast Atlanta.

Firefighters say lightning struck power equipment touching off an electrical fire on Hardee Street.

A resident, Thomas Breideband, described a boom followed by the smell of smoke.

The smoke came from the other side of the second floor. He initially grabbed a fire extinguisher and rushed over to the other side of the room.

But, he says, the fire was too large and the smoke too heavy, so he grabbed his phone and called 911.

Briedeband had just seconds to collect a few items before making his escape.

One of those items was a laptop. On it, Breideband says, is his work for his dissertation.