SHALER TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A house caught fire after it was struck by lightning in Shaler Township on Wednesday afternoon.
Emergency crews were called to the home on East Gennessee Street around 1 p.m.
Thomas May was in his living room when the lightning strike happened. He saw his chimney’s bricks on the front lawn, and went searching his house for flames.
“Then I found smoke in the attic,” he said. “Came back downstairs and got my fire extinguisher, went back up... too much smoke I went back down.”
That’s when he called 911 and was put on hold.
“Call Sarah Innamorato and find out why I had to wait on hold for 911 through 4 or 5 recordings,” May said. “[The recording said] Higher than normal call volume, please standby, don’t hang up... four or five times.”
Finally, he got through, then dozens of firefighters showed up on his street.
Christina May was in the car when her husband called to tell her their family home was on fire.
“I have a wonderful family that I called for prayer and we just asked God to contain it and I believe he answered,” she said.
She says it was a miracle the home didn’t burn down.
“It’s over 100 years old and it’s framed. We don’t even light candles for fear if the house catches fire, it will be gone in minutes,” she said.
Channel 11 asked county 911 officials why Thomas May was put on hold when he called. A spokesperson told us they are looking into what happened and will get back to us with an answer.
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