This is so scary!

So yesterday, my family thought it would be nice to surprise my grandmother with an impromptu visit to her house in Queens. We spent the day there and had a great time.

Came home around 4:30 and saw that we had lost power.

Figured it was due to the rain.
Power came back on around 7:30pm...just in time for bedtime for the kids thank goodness.
Watched the 10:00 news and saw this :

Lightning Starts Massive Fire On Long Island
(CBS) FRANKLIN SQUARE, N.Y. Lightning is being blamed for starting a fierce fire that left one firefighter seriously hurt and two homes damaged on Long Island. The fire broke out Sunday afternoon on Smith St. in Franklin Square.

Firefighters were called to the scene of a downed power line in the midst of a severe thunderstorm, making their already difficult firefighting task even more complex.

The downed power line apparently sent an electrical spark into a nearby home. The fire then spread to the home
next door.

Nassau police say a mother and three children in the first home escaped unharmed and nobody was in the second home.

“It was a big lightning (blast) apparently,” said Regina Girardi. “It must have hit a transformer. We saw the corner of the houses flickering orange.”

Several firefighters were injured while trying to bring the blaze under control, with one suffering an electrical shock when he stepped into an electrified puddle.

Electricity was still flowing to the power line when the firefighters arrived, making delaying their task. Fire Department Chief Anthony Locicero said, “we asked LIPA to put the power-grid down. There was some delay in that so we delayed in putting out the original fire.”

The fire caused much damage, leaving one home gutted, another damaged, and a neighborhood without power.

“They lost their whole house,” said Girardi. "(It's) sad.”

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This is around the block from my house.
I just passed the houses on my way back from bringing my son to school...the 1 house is almost completely gone. The other one has no back to the house.
It really is so scary.

Even scarier is that ONLY LAST WEEK, I was looking out of my living room window and saw a transformer across the street (in someone's yard) on FIRE and SMOKING!! I called LIPA and they came 3 HOURS LATER!! The TREES were on fire.

So very scary.

Re: This is so scary!

Very scary!

Posted by joenick
Even scarier is that ONLY LAST WEEK, I was looking out of my living room window and saw a transformer across the street (in someone's yard) on FIRE and SMOKING!! I called LIPA and they came 3 HOURS LATER!! The TREES were on fire.

So very scary.

Re: This is so scary!

Posted by nrthshgrl

Very scary!

Posted by joenick
Even scarier is that ONLY LAST WEEK, I was looking out of my living room window and saw a transformer across the street (in someone's yard) on FIRE and SMOKING!! I called LIPA and they came 3 HOURS LATER!! The TREES were on fire.

So very scary.

Just out of curiousity, shouldn't you call the fire department for fire?

Re: This is so scary!

I was watching some of that lightning. I knew it had to be close. I am in Valley Stream. scary stuff!!!

Re: This is so scary!

I was actually thinking of you Valerie! I was pretty sure that was over by you! That lightning and thunder was crazy.

I feel terrible for those people

Re: This is so scary!

Posted by joenick

Posted by nrthshgrl

Very scary!

Posted by joenick
Even scarier is that ONLY LAST WEEK, I was looking out of my living room window and saw a transformer across the street (in someone's yard) on FIRE and SMOKING!! I called LIPA and they came 3 HOURS LATER!! The TREES were on fire.

So very scary.

Just out of curiousity, shouldn't you call the fire department for fire?

I did. They said if the origin of the smoke and the sparking is the Transformer, I have to call LIPA...they'd need to cut the power to the box.
My reply...I have no idea of the "origin"...all I know is that I see sparks.
Their reply...sparks means it's probably the wires...call LIPA.

And even after that call...firemen didn't come until AFTER LIPA arrived.