North Grenville home struck by lightning

A North Grenville family was forced out of their home early Thursday morning after it was struck by lightning and the structure went up in flames.

"We heard this really loud bang shortly after 5 (a.m.). It was so loud that it felt like it was throwing you out of bed," neighbour Anne McCready said.

The homeowner was understandably too upset to appear on camera. He praised the work of firefighters and said the family had received a lot of support in the hours following the blaze.

"The fire travelled within the walls and went into the ceiling space," John Okum, North Grenville fire chief, told CTV News Ottawa.

"Firefighters had to get to those areas to knock the fire down. They were able to knock the fire down relatively quickly but as a result there still is extensive damage."

Four people were able to make it out of the home safely. The family pets did not survive.

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The community is focused on helping their neighbours deal with their unimaginable loss.

"In the emergency services, we go beyond what our primary job is and we look out for our community and the homeowners and we try to find them the help that they need to move forward from this tragedy," Chief Okum said.