By Judy Seifert (Contact / Staff Bio)
July 2, 2008 - 12:00 a.m. EST

MILLINGTON ­-- Gerald Myers only remembers hearing a loud boom. Then, a half hour later, the smoke alarms went off and he and his family members were struggling to find their way out of a smoke-filled house.

"I woke up when the lightning hit," Myers said. "But I went back to bed because I walked through the house and didn’t see anything or smell anything."

The fire that destroyed his house on June 23 was started by a lightning strike that hit the cellar at the rear of the home. "This is the third time for me," Myers added. “Lightning has hit trees on both the north and southeast side of my house, and I surely can’t tell you why."

Millington Fire Chief Ron Danzier said his department received the call at 3:10 that morning for the fire at 3875 Murphy Lake Rd. Severe thunderstorms had been moving through the area since midnight on the 23rd.

"We’re kind of in shock," Myers added. "The house is completely destroyed. I can’t believe it happened so fast."

Fire and insurance investigators have been walking through the debris over the past few days, Myers said. He’s hoping there won’t be any problems and said he and his wife will rebuild.

"I know it’s going to be quite a few months though," Myers added. "It takes awhile. In the meantime, we’re doing okay. We’re living in these trailers behind the house and I’ve been going through some papers I managed to find inside that we’re not burned."

Danzier said his department was assisted by both the Vassar and Fostoria fire departments with tanker power. Mayville Fire Department assisted with manpower.

"We were on the scene for almost five hours," Danzier said.

The loss of the house was estimated at $120,000 and the contents approximately $50,000.

One of the Millington firefighters was injured while battling the blaze when a piece of broken glass penetrated the side of his boot.

Myers formerly owned a dairy farm on Willard Road. He sold the business several years ago and moved his family to the house on Murphy Lake Road.

"We’re really lucky to all be alive," he added. "How we got out through all that smoke surprises me. I’m walking around looking at the house and can’t believe it."