HOWARD TOWNSHIP — There was a house fire Thursday evening at 2207 Yankee Street. One person was home at the time, but there were no injuries.

Eyewitness and neighbor Steve Merica said that he saw someone in his front yard jumping up and down.

“I came out, and he said, ‘My house is on fire,'” Merica said.

Howard Township Fire Department responded to the call.

Though initial speculation was that the house was struck by lightning, that turned out to be false.

“Something was left in the oven,” said Howard Township Fire Chief Ed Leneway. “And it caught fire and spread throughout the kitchen … The kitchen is probably 90 percent [fire damaged], and the rest of the house is probably 75 percent smoke damaged.”

“Smoke was just bellowing out of the front door,” said Merica.

As soon as the ventilation began, explained Leneway, the fire took about five to 10 minutes to put out.

Firefighters stayed on the scene after the fire was put out for over an hour in the pouring rain.