LONE TREE - Investigators believe a large house fire started because of a lightning strike on Monday evening.
South Metro Fire Department spokesperson Andy Lyon says neighbors reported seeing flashes of light before the fire began around 5:15 p.m. in the 7500 block of Lebrun Court.
When firefighters got to the scene, they found the back of the home engulfed in flames. After going inside to try and contain the fire, firefighters had to pull out when the flames broke through the roof and it became dangerous to stay inside.
The fire was knocked down in about 20 minutes.
Lyon says the house had a gas line connected to a grill in the backyard and investigators believe that helped fuel the fire. Investigators believe the gas was flowing free from either a broken or melted line.
The house suffered heavy damage. No one was home at the time and no injuries have been reported.
9NEWS spoke with the homeowner, Kathy Hassoldt, and she says most of her belongings inside the home were destroyed, including her wedding ring and a ring from her mother.
She says she was at the grocery store when the fire started and she got a call from a neighbor about her home.
"Seeing the smoke, then I started really kind of screaming in my car," she said. "And I just freaked."
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