Dancing pillar of fire bursts from the ground in Florida yard. Here’s what caused it

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A swirling pillar of fire consuming a palm tree outside a Florida home was ignited by a lightning strike that ruptured a gas line below the ground, officials said

Firefighters responded to the home in Viera West, about 55 miles southeast of Orlando, on Friday, Aug. 26, and worked to protect the homes near the fire, according to a post on the Brevard County Fire Rescue Facebook page.

A gas company also responded and found the line, the post says. The fire rescue crew’s haz-mat team clamped the line, cutting off the flow of gas.

Firefighters then extinguished the flames.

Video of the fire shows tall flames spiraling around a palm tree just feet from a home.

“Could have been a much worse outcome,” one Facebook user, Phil Gerace, commented on the video.

“Amazing that the fire didn’t spread to any house — fantastic job!” wrote another user, Kristine Poyner Hertzog.

Lightning can contain between 100 million and 1 billion volts of electricity, according to the NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory.

Lightning often strikes taller objects, such as trees and buildings, because they send “upward streamers” of ionized air that are more likely to connect with lightning bolts coming down, according to the agency.

Electric currents from lightning can travel through tree trunks, water, metal fences, power lines and plumbing.

Lightning strikes in the U.S. occur most often between Tampa and Orlando in Florida.

This year, there have been 15 fatal lightning strikes in the U.S., two in Florida, as of Aug. 29.

A college freshman in Pensacola, Florida, survived being struck by lightning on the first day of classes on Aug. 22.
 

A Facebook user who said his house was where the Viera West video of the swirling flames was taken, said in a comment that the lightning strike made for an “exciting night,” but unfortunately, the palm tree that was consumed by fire did not survive.

“Many thanks to all the Firefighters and crew that came out,” wrote John Melo. “Sadly, the palm tree didn’t make it and was put to rest this morning.”