9-year-old struck by lightning in Stone Mountain

ATLANTA — Fire departments throughout the metro area were busy after lightning struck a 9-year-old boy in DeKalb County and another strike sparked a fire in midtown Atlanta.
 
The child in Stone Mountain was alert and conscious when paramedics arrived and he was not taken to a hospital. It's a large apartment complex and Channel 2's Craig Lucie interviewed a man who heard the strike, but couldn't find anyone who saw the boy get hit.
 
The DeKalb County Fire Rescue department said the lightning strike hit the boy at the Marquis Bridge Apartments off North Hairston Road in Stone Mountain.
 
"It was a sonic boom and then I heard a crackling sound behind it like something was frying," said neighbor Roderick Willis.
 
Several residents said they briefly lost power.
 
As thunderstorms moved through downtown Atlanta Monday, another lightning strike hit near Deering Road.
 
The sound jolted Shawn Brower out of bed.
 
"There was smoke everywhere," Brower said. "Just a massive loud boom. It scared me, it was loud."
 
Atlanta firefighters said they had several lightning calls throughout the city and the strike sparked a fire in the attic while a family was inside this home.
 
"It hit a tree on delta side, you can see the burning of bark come down the tree into the house," said Atlanta Fire Battalion Chief Edward Hill.
 
Firefighters said the family could not stay in their home Monday night due to the smoke damage.

WSBTV