Lightning strike explodes Wisconsin tree, neighbors battle flames with buckets

Security cameras in Tomahawk, Wisconsin, captured a lightning strike that exploded a backyard tree and set it on fire. The homeowner said neighbors rushed in with buckets of lake water to douse the flames until fire crews arrived.

Security cameras captured the dramatic moment a bolt of lightning slammed into a pine tree in Tomahawk, Wisconsin, on Sept. 9, blasting bark and debris across the yard and setting the trunk ablaze.

The homeowner, Mike Smith, said he wasn’t home at the time. Instead, his neighbors sprang into action. The video shows them filling buckets with water from a nearby lake and dousing the flames at the base of the tree until fire crews arrived to handle the blaze higher up.

Smith later shared the footage on Facebook, writing: “We had a freak bolt of lightning destroy one of our pine trees. Thanks to our great neighbors for putting out the fire and helping me with communication with emergency services. Sad for our tree…”

While it may seem unusual for lightning to strike amid calm conditions, meteorologists say it can happen. These events are known as “bolts from the blue” — lightning strikes that can travel miles away from a thunderstorm cloud.

Summer thunderstorms can form quickly and remain very localized. “The radial spread of the thunderstorm can end up being only a mile or two,” AccuWeather Meteorologist Jesse Ferrell said, meaning someone nearby may still see mostly blue sky overhead.

Experts stress the importance of the safety reminder: “When thunder roars, go indoors.” Even one strike can be powerful enough to destroy a tree or worse.

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