When it comes to bizarre weather encounters, one Belton, Texas, home just won the unlucky lottery — six times over.
A quiet morning turned thunderously chaotic when a house became the unlikely bullseye for a relentless lightning storm, all captured on a neighbor’s doorbell camera. The Bell County Fire Marshal’s Office said authorities rushed to the scene after reports of a fire sparked by what sounded like an otherworldly attack. “The homeowners were able to get out safely after hearing a possible lightning strike hit the roof of the home and then saw flames in the attic space,” the department posted. While the house suffered fire and water damage, crews contained the blaze swiftly, sparing neighboring homes.
But here’s the kicker: This wasn’t just a single bolt of bad luck. “The home was hit by a negative energy lightning strike, not once, but six times in the same event,” the department said. Investigators confirmed the strikes caused the fire, leaving residents and officials stunned.
Loranette Baker, a neighbor, described the moment the sky seemed to declare war. “To me, it sounded like a bomb,” Loranette said. She later told reporters she “thought something exploded over my house.” Her husband, Terry, echoed the sentiment, with both rushing outside to assess the commotion. After reviewing their doorbell footage, Loranette said the video solved the mystery. “
They were looking at their house right here trying to see where the damage was, and then you can’t see a fire if you look at it, you can’t see a fire up there where it hit,” she said.
Oddly enough, lightning has a history of flirting with this neighborhood. A house on nearby Fenton Lane faced similar drama in 2022. Yet despite the chaos, gratitude prevailed. “We are grateful on this street for sure,” Loranette said, reflecting on the close call. “As neighbors, you know we are very thankful because two or three streets over there were a fire, and another house caught fire because of the wind.”
Firefighters arrived within minutes, dousing flames in under half an hour. “The fire trucks and all that everybody is coming in and so it was about 4:55 a.m. they are still out there looking at their house and then by 5:01 a.m. there is still nothing after being hit at 4:40 a.m., and then there it is all of the stuff,” Loranette said, marveling at the rapid response.
Though the homeowners declined to comment, officials confirmed the structure is salvageable. For those hoping to avoid a similar shock, the National Weather Service recommends lightning rods and full protection systems to guard against surges. After all, as Belton just learned, lightning can strike the same place six times — and then some.
