LEAGUE CITY/SANTA FE — Strong thunderstorms associated with Tropical Storm Bertha sparked multiple house fires across Galveston County Wednesday evening after lightning struck two separate homes. No injuries were reported in either incident.

The first fire was reported shortly after 7 p.m. in the 700 block of Marbrook Saddle Lane in League City.

Fire officials confirmed the blaze was caused by a lightning strike. The homeowner was inside the residence when the strike occurred but was able to safely evacuate before firefighters arrived. Officials said the fire caused the most significant damage to the home’s attic and the upstairs stairwell.

Around the same time, firefighters were dispatched to another structure fire in the 14000 block of Tallow in Santa Fe.

According to fire officials, lightning struck the home’s chimney, igniting wood located between the brick chimney and the chimney flue. The fire then spread into the flooring between the first and second stories of the residence.

The homeowner, his wife, and their children safely escaped the home without injury.

Fire departments from Hitchcock, La Marque, and Dickinson responded under mutual aid agreements to assist Santa Fe firefighters with extinguishing the blaze.

Both fires occurred as thunderstorms from Tropical Storm Bertha moved across Southeast Texas, producing frequent lightning, heavy rainfall, and gusty winds.