Hot spot: Arizona homes vulnerable to lightning strikes
Jun 24, 2015, 12:16 PM | Updated: 3:38 pm
PHOENIX — Arizona sees a lot of lightning strikes during monsoon season but most homes are not protected with lightning rods.
Independent contractor Bob Ross has been installing those systems in the Valley for years and said people don’t take it seriously enough.
Arizona trails only Florida when it comes to lightning strikes.
“Years ago these strikes were out in the open desert but now that desert is home to subdivisions. There’s more targets because more homes have been built.”
Several homes were struck by lightning earlier this month.
“Lightning doesn’t cause the fires, it’s the side flash or the arc. It hits an edge and now looks for a path of least resistance.”
Ross said the heat from a lighting strike can be twice the surface temperature of the sun. It will burn through electrical lines and air conditioning ducts to reach the ground.
“That’s how the fire starts,” he said.
Ross said it costs between $1,400-$1,800 dollars to outfit the average home with lightning rods and surge protection.
But most people don’t believe lightning will hit their home.
“A lot of people say I’ve got homeowner’s insurance. That’s fine. If you live.”