Kris and Bruce Boschert were at the Florida Country Superfest in Jacksonville when they received the dreaded call from neighbors.
Their home in the Village of Pinellas at Evans Prairie had been engulfed in flames.
The home was struck by lightning at about 6:30 p.m. Sunday when a fast-moving storm came through The Villages.
The couple moved to The Villages from Overland Park, Kan. in May 2013. They both worked for Sprint before retiring to The Villages.
They had planned to make a weekend of it in Jacksonville and come back Monday morning.
“We packed carry-on bags,” Kris Boschert said.
Upon hearing the news, they immediately started driving back.
They were surveying the damage Monday morning with Villages Public Safety Chief Edmund Cain and representatives from The Villages Insurance, which carries their homeowners insurance policy.
911 callÂ
Sherry White lives down the street on Isleworth Circle and planned to step out to snap a photo of an anticipated rainbow after the storm.
Instead, she spotted smoke.
Their landline was out because of the storm, but they managed to dial 911 on a cell phone.
Units from Villages Public Safety Department, Sumter County Fire Rescue, Lake County Fire Rescue and Fruitland Park Fire Department all responded to the scene.
That’s what friends are for
The Boscherts spent the night with neighborhood friends.
“Everybody has been so wonderful,” Kris Boschert said.
They had no pet at home at the time of the fire.
Their cat had passed away recently.
“That’s what I could not have taken,” Kris Boschert said. “Everything else can be replaced.”
