A lightning strike is believed to be the cause of a house fire that lit up a Barrhaven neighbourhood Wednesday night.
The home went up in flames on Paul Metivier Drive at about 8 p.m. as a severe thunderstorm swept through the area, lighting up many parts of the city.
A neighbour saw the home catch fire and ran over to get a woman and her two daughters out of the house. The fire was mostly contained to the attic and roof.
Although lightning is suspected to be the cause of the blaze, inspectors have not confirmed that.
Damage is estimated at about $300,000. The family living there bought the home only a year ago. They are now staying with relatives.
The storm, which brought strong winds and large hail, ravaged the region Wednesday.
Hailstones as big as two inches in diameter covered the ground near Merrickville Wednesday afternoon. In Barrhaven, one-inch hailstones came down.
