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| Florida: Tourists from Ireland caught up in 'lightning strike' fire at resort | Florida: Tourists from Ireland caught up in 'lightning strike' fire at resort |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Holidaymakers from across Ireland have avoided injury after a major fire thought to have been caused by a lightning strike gutted part of their hotel in the United States. | Holidaymakers from across Ireland have avoided injury after a major fire thought to have been caused by a lightning strike gutted part of their hotel in the United States. |
| About 500 rooms in the Avanti International Resort in Orlando, Florida, were evacuated when the fire started on Sunday night. | About 500 rooms in the Avanti International Resort in Orlando, Florida, were evacuated when the fire started on Sunday night. |
| Fire services said it was likely that lightning struck the building's roof. | Fire services said it was likely that lightning struck the building's roof. |
| Tourist Caroline Downey Tierney said: "It was crazy, complete bedlam." | Tourist Caroline Downey Tierney said: "It was crazy, complete bedlam." |
| Mrs Downey Tierney, from Ballyshannon in County Donegal, is staying at the hotel with her husband Darragh. | Mrs Downey Tierney, from Ballyshannon in County Donegal, is staying at the hotel with her husband Darragh. |
| They were told to leave after the fire broke out on the hotel's fourth floor. | They were told to leave after the fire broke out on the hotel's fourth floor. |
| "We were told to pack up our stuff and go," she said. | "We were told to pack up our stuff and go," she said. |
| "Eventually we got back into our room. | "Eventually we got back into our room. |
| "It was scary stuff - the thunder and lightning was wild." | "It was scary stuff - the thunder and lightning was wild." |
| Carla Black, from Belfast, was in a room with her family a short distance from where the fire started. | |
| She said strong storm winds spread the fire across the building and destroyed the top floor. | |
| "The lightning was mental, we could hear that it was right above our heads, and then we could smell burning," she said. | |
| "It was a small fire at first but I've never seen anything spread so quickly. | |
| "We were moved out at first because of the smoke, but then the fire was looking like it might even spread to our block." | |
| Ms Black added that one couple who had just checked in to their room lost all of their belongings in the blaze. | |
| In a Facebook post, the Avanti Resort said the building had been secured and was "open and operational". | In a Facebook post, the Avanti Resort said the building had been secured and was "open and operational". |
| No-one is believed to have been injured in the incident. | No-one is believed to have been injured in the incident. |