The Prairie du Rocher and Maeystown fire departments responded about 9:45 p.m. Wednesday to the report of a structure fire due to a lightning strike in the 1600 block of G Road south of Renault.

All occupants were reported to be safely out of the building, which is owned by Thomas and Vicki Steibel.

Maeystown Fire Chief Lynden Prange said the residence, a newer two-story home, took a direct lightning strike during a storm. This strike destroyed the front porch, left holes in the roof and burnt holes in the guttering, Prange said.

“This is one of the worst direct lightning strikes to a home that I’ve seen,” Prange said.

A homeowner used a fire extinguisher to douse flames as a result of the strike prior to firefighter arrival.

“The homeowners said it sounded like a bomb went off,” Prange said. “It pretty much fried everything. It’s crazy. It fried the electrical sockets. It even fried the telephone box.”