Family's Bible unscathed after lightning damages home

CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — A family's Bible survived when lightning caught their Clayton County house on fire.

While his home saw extensive damage, the family Bible, not a mark on it.

“I just couldn’t believe it. You know? You leave home, go to work, you get a call, you come back and your whole life has changed,” homeowner Alvin Smith said.

“(We) had fire conditions on the rear side of the structure. They made an aggressive interior attack and contained the fire,” Clayton Co. F.E.S. Deputy Chief Anthony Grimaldi said.

Smith is a home inspector and told Winne he was inspecting a home in Austell when a neighbor called to say Smith's Anvil Block Road home had been hit by lightning and had caught fire.

“He heard the lightning strike. It was big enough to where it shook his house,” Smith said.

Smith said he was glad his good neighbor called Clayton County Fire and Emergency Services and they saved as much of the home as they did.

“He looked over here and saw smoke coming from mine and he immediately called the fire department. so I really appreciate him for that,” Smith said.

Clayton County Fire Chief Landry Merkison said a second house in the county suffered significant damage from a lightning strike. The worst damage was done to the attic.

Merkison said a response time of just over six minutes helped keep the fire from consuming more of the home.

Meanwhile, Smith said he was happy no one was home when the lightning hit.

“Very much so, because the lightning hit where I usually am, which is the office, and that's where I spend most of my time when I’m here,” Smith said.

Cox Media Group