Lightning may have sparked at least one fire Wednesday morning in Fort Worth, and the cause of a second fire is under investigation. The National Weather Service says parts of North and Central Texas could receive 2.5 inches of rain through Wednesday afternoon.
The Fort Worth Fire Department says lightning appears to have sparked a fire at a home in East Fort Worth.
"Fire was in the attic," says the Fire Department's Mike Drivdahl. "Crews were able to get into the attic and get that knocked down fairly quickly. It's under investigation, but at this time, we do believe that one was probably weather related."
Shortly before that fire, crews were called to a church just south of the I-35W/I-20 interchange in South Fort Worth. In that case, Drivdahl says a permanent tent behind the church had caught fire.
The cause of that fire remains under investigation. No one was hurt in either case.
Drivdahl says the two fires highlight the importance of staying prepared in case of bad weather. He urges people to use the time change this weekend to test their smoke detectors and change batteries.
"That is the most inexpensive life insurance policy you can have for you and your family," he says.
In addition to fire calls, police and fire departments responded to more crashes than normal on the roads Wednesday morning.
"Really, the biggest thing on that is just slowing down and paying more attention, leaving more space between you and the car in front of you than you normally would," Drivdahl says. "You're not going to be able to stop as fast. There's quite a bit of water on the road that is ponding."
The National Weather Service says minor flooding will be possible through Wednesday afternoon, and coverage of the rain will shift to the south. Rain totals around 1 inch are forecast near the Red River to 2.5 inches in Central Texas.
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