Lightning strike may have sparked house fire

DOWAGIAC, Mich. -- A Dowagiac family came home to find their house on fire Tuesday afternoon.

Firefighters got the call shortly after 4 p.m. and responded within minutes.

When they got there, the garage was fully engulfed. It took several volunteer departments more than thirty minutes to put it out.

"It could've been a lot worse. That's a big house. That's a big house, like I said, it's a long ways off the road, so we were challenged right out of the gate with this one. All in all, I would say a successful stop," said Sister Lakes Fire Department President Tom Gear.

The fire is still under investigation, but firefighters say a lightning strike to a ground circuit may be to blame.