Lightning strikes homes in Philadelphia region

More than a half dozen Philadelphia-area homes were struck by lightning as strong thunderstorms moved through the region overnight.

The storms hit the area early Thursday, bringing bouts of heavy rain, strong wind and lightning.

In Bucks County, lightning strikes set homes ablaze in Doylestown Township, Quakertown and Warrington Township, according to emergency dispatchers.

All of the fires were placed under control quickly and no injuries were reported, dispatchers said.

In the Doylestown incident, the chimney of a home on Wisteria Lane was hit by lightning, causing it to shatter. Photos on NBC Philadelphia showed the debris from the chimney sprawled into the house's front yard and the street.

A house on the unit block of Martin Road in Highland Township was also hit by lightning, Chester County dispatchers said.

And in New Jersey, Gloucester County dispatchers said three overnight house fires there were caused by lightning strikes.

Those blazes occurred on the 2000 block of Esplanade Avenue in Pitman, the 200 block of Hickory Lane in Harrison Township, and on Lynn Drive in West Deptford.

Dispatchers said no one was hurt in the fires.

The National Weather Service says scattered showers and thunderstorms in the Philadelphia region are possible throughout the day today, with rain and storms most likely between 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.