Lightning might have sparked a house fire

Lightning may have been the cause of a house fire in Southwest Miami-Dade, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said Tuesday.

No one was home when the house at 9956 SW 123 St. became engulfed in flames Tuesday afternoon.

“Crews worked aggressively to contain the fire,” which showed signs of a lightning strike as the cause, said Erika Benitez, a spokeswoman for the firefighters. An investigation is underway.

Benitez said a dry season, lack of rain and high winds are “good fuels for a fire.”

Homeowners should remove debris and flammable objects from their yards, and should never discard lit cigarette butts near their homes.

“Sometimes lightning directly strikes foliage that is dry, especially during a drought,” Benitez said.

On Monday, two brush fires in Northwest Miami-Dade were suspected to be sparked by lightning, burning more than 500 acres of grass and trees during the process, according to the Florida Forest Service.

“Residents should clear areas around their homes of tree branches that are dry and could catch on fire.”

This story was originally published July 14, 2015 at 8:43 PM with the headline "Lightning might have sparked a house fire."