The Malverne Volunteer Fire Department responded to a home on Doncaster Road during Wednesday afternoon's thunderstorm to investigate a possible lightning strike.
Neighbors reported hearing several load clashes of thunder during a torrential downpour and one resident smelled smoke on the upper floor of her home.
Malverne Police and firefighters arrived at the scene. The home was not on fire, but the firefighters did detect "an odor of smoke," according to Malverne Fire Chief Scott Edwards.
After checking the roof, they determined that a lightning bolt may have struck the utility pole in front of the home, causing an arc back to the house, Edwards explained.
"There was some evidence of the arc on the outside of the house near the electric meter," he said. "It was a not a direct hit and there was very little damage."
Additional reporting by Tara Conry.
