A lightning strike ignited a fire on the roof of a Nantucket home on July 18, leading to a dramatic rescue of its 71-year-old owner, Susan Hostetler. Four camp counselors intervened when Hostetler initially dismissed the loud crash and alarm, believing it to be a power surge. The incident occurred during an intense thunderstorm.
Hostetler, an art consultant and gallery owner, was reportedly making strawberry ice cream when the lightning struck her $3.5 million home. The sound of the impact and the subsequent alarm went unnoticed by Hostetler until the counselors, who were leaving a nearby house, alerted her to the flames. "And then I heard bang, bang, bang! And someone yelling, 'Get out of your house! Your roof is on fire!'" Hostetler told the Nantucket Current.
The four counselors, Libby Stockton, Lilla Sharman, Jakobe Stevens, and Tabitha Myers, who work at the Strong Wings summer camp, saw the fire from a distance. Stockton described their immediate reaction: "We saw the fire from a distance and we all kind of just collectively looked at each other and said, 'We gotta make sure she's okay.'"
Upon reaching the house, the counselors banged on windows and doors to get Hostetler's attention. They entered the home, helped locate and secure her cats in carriers, and called emergency responders. Hostetler described the group as her "golden angels who rescued me," calling the event a "big miracle."
The Nantucket Fire Department responded quickly, preventing the complete loss of the house. The home sustained water damage across its three floors. Hostetler was able to salvage a significant portion of the artwork created by her late husband, David Hostetler, who passed away in 2015. Stockton expressed gratitude that everyone was safe, stating, "I know for a fact that Jakobe, Lilla, Tabby, and I would do it all again in a heartbeat, and it's just really nice to know that she knew she was safe, her cats are safe, and although I can't imagine the type of trauma she endured, I am very thankful that everyone's in one piece."