Lee County man picks up the pieces after home is struck by lightning, deemed unlivable

A Lee County man is processing losing his home to a fire after lightning struck the roof on Monday.

The owner, Dan Bradley, told WINK News he was in rehab recovering from knee surgery when the lightning struck. No one else was home when it happened.

Bradley said he had enough things going on in his life, he did not need this. He told WINK News that he lost his wife about a year ago and now has to deal with a home he can’t live in and figure out where he is going to go next.

Bradley’s home is just one of three homes left unlivable after a lightning strike caused a fire.

“Lisa informed me that lightning had struck the house at about a little after five o’clock, and there was a fire involved and smoke and damage.” said Bradley

Bradley’s home is one of three lightning-caused house fires in one week.

MORE: Protecting yourself, your home from lightning strikes in Southwest Florida

The first was last Tuesday at a home in Charlotte County.

“It was insane. And the whole street was, I mean, just covered in smoke,” said Victor Vigh, a witness to the lightning strike.

Just one day later, it happened again. This time in south Fort Myers.

“I just I still am at a loss for words. What are the chances of getting struck by lightning? On the roof? Direct hit?” said Jen Schmidt, whose home was struck by lightning.

Just five days later, it happened for the third time. In this case, nobody was home. That is because Bradley was is in rehab after he had knee surgery about two weeks ago.

In fact, it was his neighbor who called him to tell him the news.

“I was not pleased, I got enough going on in my life right now trying to recover from this knee replacement. And now that I don’t have a home to go home to when I’m released here, it just got deeper,” said Bradley.

It’s a home he said he and his late wife have had for the last 42 years.

“I just had solar panels installed a year ago. And everything was fine until last night. The house is totaled. I just don’t know to what extent the damage is,” said Bradley.

Now he’s trying to pick up the pieces and trying to see where he will go from here because, as of now, his home is unlivable.

“So it was suggested that I look into assisted living facility they could do a like a 30-day deal,” Bradley said.

Bradley told WINK News that an adjuster was on the way to see him and possibly get authorization for him to see the property.