Lightning is to blame for at least one major fire Thursday night.
The blaze started shortly after 10:30 a.m. in the 7200 block of Stiles near Bucher in the Lower Valley.
45 firefighters responded to find thick smoke and flames shooting 50 feet up in the air.
Chief Patrick Aguayo of the El Paso Fire Department said the flames spread from the home to a nearby shed, then crews also dealt with "exposures to another property that involved apartments."
Fire dispatchers said they had to wait for El Paso Electric to turn off the electricity before clearing the scene. However, they said the electric company was hesitant to do that due to the frequent lightning strikes in the area.
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