TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — A lightning strike, late Tuesday evening, sparked a devastating house fire near the base of Mt. Lemmon, destroying a longtime resident's home and leaving him with a little more than the clothes on his back.
Flames broke out around 6 p.m. near Snyder Road and Soldier Trail Road, where Rural Metro firefighters battled the blaze for nearly eight hours, finally extinguishing it around 2 a.m. Wednesday morning.
John Kraszewski, who lived in the home for 18 years, says he wasn’t home when the fire started.
“I was at the gym,” Kraszewski said. “That might have saved my life because I probably would’ve been in the bedroom, where the lightning struck.”
The lightning bolt reportedly hit near his bedroom, igniting a fire that engulfed the second floor, destroying his sleeping area and home office. Kraszewski says the lower level also suffered extensive water and smoke damage.
A neighbor was the first to alert him to the blaze, but by the time Kraszewski arrived, his home was beyond saving. Left with only his gym clothes, he spent the night sleeping in his car. Amid the devastation, he found a silver lining the next morning when his cat, who had escaped the fire, was found safe.
“It’s definitely overwhelming,” he said. “I’m still kind of in my only pair of clothes from last night, but I’m taking it one step at a time.”
Kraszewski remains grateful that no one was hurt, crediting firefighters for their hard work under difficult conditions.
“No one was hurt, that’s the most important part,” he said. “My photos are digital, so I didn’t really lose anything sentimental. Just stuff.”
The rebuilding process could take up to a year, depending on insurance assessments. In the meantime, Kraszewski is searching for temporary housing as he begins the long road to recovery.
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Joel Foster is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9 who previously worked as an English teacher in both Boston and the Tucson area. Joel has experience working with web, print and video in the tech, finance, nonprofit and the public sectors. In his off-time, you might catch Joel taking part in Tucson's local comedy scene. Share your story ideas with Joel at joel.foster@kgun9.com, or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram or X.
