INDIANAPOLIS (AP) _ Lightning from thunderstorms passing through central Indiana have been blamed for starting several house fires.
Emergency dispatchers told The Indianapolis Star that lightning strikes Wednesday started fires at three homes in Hamilton County north of Indianapolis and two in Hendricks County east of the city.
Sabastian Hardimon of Avon, about 10 miles east of Indianapolis, tells WTHR-TV that he and another neighbor broke out a window to rescue a sleeping teenage girl from a house that caught fire after a lightning strike.
The National Weather Service says Indianapolis received a record amount of rainfall for the date of 1.61 inches. The weather service posted flood warnings for several counties in central and southern Indiana.
Indianapolis Power & Light says about 17,000 customers lost power during the storm.
