Lightning strike torches pickup truck in Texas during thunderstorm, wild photos show
No injuries reported after flames engulfed pickup truck in Klein, Texas
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A pickup truck in Texas exploded in flames after lightning struck the vehicle, authorities said.
The incident took place as a thunderstorm passed through the Houston area, leaving the truck – parked at Collins Park in Klein – destroyed, the Harris County Precinct 4 Constable's Office said.
Both the Klein Fire Department and Constable deputies responded to the scene to assist. The Constable's Office shared photos of the truck engulfed in flames on social media.
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The blaze is seen overtaking the pickup’s cab as its hood and driver-side door were flung open, flames appearing to be shooting outward and upward in all directions.
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Photos of the scene appear to show the fire spreading toward a grassy area next to the truck's parking space, but the blaze seemed to be contained to the immediate area. There was no report of any other vehicle suffering damage.
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The Constable's Office said there were no reported injuries from the lightning strike, which they stated took place in the 6700 block of Cypresswood Drive.
In April, video captured the moment lightning struck a truck during a severe thunderstorm in Greene County, Missouri. Despite a fiery blast, no injuries were reported in that incident either.
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Over the past five years, the United States has averaged 17 deaths per year from lightning, though that rate has been steadily dropping since the turn of the century, according to FOX Weather.
Lightning strikes in the neighborhood of 25 million times a year in the U.S., according to the National Weather Service.