After lighting struck a house, causing a fire in Melissa, neighbors are installing lighting rods, which North Texas expert calls the only protection
Experts say lightning rods are the most effective tools when preventing a home from catching fire after a lightning strikeA house fire in McKinney caused by lightning has neighbors rushing to install what experts say is the only way to prevent a similar disaster from happening to them.
, says lightning rods are the most effective tool at preventing a building fire after a lightning strike since their invention in 1749."Lightning rods are nothing new; they’ve been putting them on since Ben Franklin invented them 280 years ago," said Breecher. Foot-long copper rods are first installed on the roof. When lightning strikes the rods, electricity follows to an attached cable down the side of the home and 10 feet into the ground, Breecher explained."The occupants inside don't even know they were hit," Breecher said."It's about a two-second situation. Lighting hits the lighting rod and boom, it's down to the ground that quickly." After thunderstorms blew through Collin County on Sunday, Breecher said surrounding homeowners are quickly signing up to protect themselves.While not mandatory for homes in Texas, Breecher says installing lightning rods is a one-time investment that's cheap when compared to the alternative. "It costs about 1% of the cost of your home or less," Breecher said.", the houses are 99 times out of 100 total losses. Why take a chance?" Breecher, one of 17 master installers in the nation, says he's no stranger to the consequences of an ill-prepared North Texas during storm season. And as populations across North Texas continue to grow, more homes mean more opportunities for a fire. "I've seen where there's been 20 houses hit in one night," he said."It's like Russian roulette. It's a matter of when and if and who's going to get struck."
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