by Wes Harris
The home of a retired Ruston firefighter and his wife was destroyed by fire early Sunday morning after an apparent lightning strike.
Eric and Lynne Brazzel of La. Highway 146 west of Vienna lost their home during one of a series of lightning storms that passed through Lincoln Parish Saturday night and early Sunday morning. The fire was discovered by the Brazzels’ daughter and son-in-law who live nearby.
By the time Kaylyn Brazzel Hoenke and her husband Aaron reached the house, the fire was fully involved and moving quickly through the length of the structure.
Kaylyn Hoenke shared on social media that the fire moved quickly.
“My husband and I woke up in a panic when our power went out and heard thunder popping outside our window,” Hoenke wrote. “We felt called to get up and check our home, but quickly realized it was not our home . . . Aaron, my husband, got up . . . and quickly looked outside to observe the weather, only to see an orange glow from my parent’s home.
“Running out of the house, we realized there was nothing we could do to stop the fire from advancing. It had already taken over the garage and laundry room, continuing into the attic.”
Hoenke said her parents were staying the night at Lake Claiborne and no one was home at the time of the fire. The Hoenkes rescued the Brazzels’ dog from the back yard but a beloved cat perished in the fire.
“[My parents] lost memories, items with sentimental value, and a home that was so precious and memorable for many friends and family members,” Hoenke said. “There were very few things that were salvageable from the fire.”
The National Weather Service issued multiple severe thunderstorm warnings for much of north Louisiana Saturday night, with local public safety agencies relaying the alerts. The warnings included the possibility of wind gusts up to 50 miles per hour, hail, and frequent lightning. Just under an inch of rain was reported in the Ruston area.
Law enforcement agencies and power companies reported downed trees and outages scattered throughout the region.
Eric Brazzel retired from Ruston Fire in 2022 after 32 years of service, the last 15 as the department’s public education officer and arson investigator.
