Photo: Washington County Sheriff's Office
As thunderstorms moved through Minnesota earlier this week, one family's home was stuck by lightning and burned to the ground, according to a press release. The residence, located in Grant, was worth over a million dollars.
The Washington County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call from a homeowner on the 1100 block of Great Oak Trail North just after 1:00 a.m. The individual reported hearing a bolt of lightning, followed by a strong smell of gas. When deputies arrived at the scene, they discovered a fire inside the residence. Luckily, the two adult residents and their animals were able to evacuate the home safely. No injuries have been reported.
Due to the home's location in a district without fire hydrants, water had to be brought to the scene in a tanker. 10 hours later, fire crews were still battling the blaze. The Mahtomedi Fire Department was assisted by 12 additional fire crews, as well as the Lakeview EMS and the American Red Cross, to put out the fire.
After the fire was finally extinguished, the home was declared a total loss. According to Washington County Property records, the home was worth $1 million — $1.4 if you include the land the house was sitting on.