By CURT HILLS – Villages Daily Sun

THE VILLAGES — Stephen and Mary Jayne Wrobel made the right decision when their house went dark and a smoke smell emerged during a thunderstorm Friday evening.

The Village of Sunset Ridge at Sunset Pointe couple exited their home before fire destroyed it right before their eyes and those of concerned neighbors.

“As long as nobody got hurt, that’s the main thing,” Wrobel said as he watched firefighters douse water on the shell of his home on Blenheim Trail. “We can replace a house.”

The home was deemed a total loss with house and vehicle damages possibly reaching $400,000, according to District Public Safety Department Deputy Chief Edmund Cain. The fire is being investigated as a possible lightning strike, he said.

The house fire erupted during heavy thunderstorm activity that rolled across the community as firefighters were responding to two possible structure fires at the same time. Another possible lightning strike in the 1400 block of Blueberry Way caused electrical damage to a water sprinkler system. Fifty-three seconds later, the 911 call came in for the Wrobels’ residence around 8:30 p.m.

Firefighters knew early on they were dealing with an aggressive blaze at the Wrobels. Lt. Bob Davis said he noticed it from a few miles away.

“I was down at Buena Vista (Boulevard) and St. Charles Place and could see the flames shooting up in the air,” Davis said. “When I got here, the garage was totally engulfed.”

Cain said the structure was 40-percent involved when firefighters first arrived.

Wrobel said he and his wife had just entered their home when they heard a loud noise, and then witnessed the power go off — first on one half of the house, then the other half.

“Then I smelled smoke and I told my wife we better get out,” he said.

As they were exiting, a neighbor who had been driving by, was present at their door, also encouraging them to get out, Cain said.

Cain praised the Wrobels for doing the right thing.

“It was a smart move on their part; they got out of the house after they heard a noise,” Cain said. “We knew very quickly that we didn’t have people trapped inside, which made it much safer for everyone involved in battling this unfortunate blaze.”

“You never think it can happen to you,” Wrobel said, shaking his head.

But despite losing his house, his heart ached for his friend, Larry Thompson.

Thompson was storing his 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air, with 31,000 original miles on it, inside the Wrobels’ garage. Thompson said he had just completed 13 years of restoration work on his pride and joy — a vehicle featured in many car shows and trade publications.

“That’s my 401(k) there,” Thompson said, gesturing to where his collector’s car was stored. “What are the odds? At least a million to one.”

Firefighters from both the District Public Safety Department and Lake County battled the stubborn flames for 70 minutes. At one point, the roof of the structure caved in, leaving firefighters to douse only the remains with water.

Despite the total loss, Wrobel praised firefighters.

“They’ve done a terrific job,” he said.

Besides Lake County, firefighters from Fruitland Park and Leesburg provided assistance in covering The Villages. Besides the two fire calls, a golf cart rollover was reported near Cane Garden Country Club and two cardiac arrest calls came in — all within 20 minutes of the fire on Blenheim Trail.

Neighbor Bob Csaszar said the circuit breakers inside his home began popping shortly after he heard a large burst of thunder.

“I said ‘I’m going to the roof,’” he told his wife, suspecting his own house might have been hit. “When I looked this way, I saw the smoke and flames. The greatest fear I had is fire spreading.”

But firefighters were able to contain the blaze to the single structure. Cain said other homes were not damaged.

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