TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa Bay is called the lightning capital of North America for a reason.
Nearly two weeks ago, a Tampa family from the Greater Northdale area suffered a devastating loss from a recent thunderstorm.
WATCH: 'She's irreplaceable': Tampa family loses home and beloved dog to lightning strike
The Osman family reached out to ABC Action News about a strike that appeared to have hit their home. They tell us a baby monitor helped save one of their dogs, but unfortunately, not the other.
On June 13, Tim and Macy Osman’s lives turned upside down.
"Fear, bad dream, devastated," said the Osmans.
They were out with friends and their seven-month-old baby when a thunderstorm rolled through their area.
"I got a notification from our baby monitor camera saying that the nursery was like 86 degrees," said Tim. "We don't keep our house at 86 degrees."
They rushed home to find the house they called home for nearly three years, covered in smoke and flames - and with their two dogs inside.
"I found both of them, they were, they were both not breathing," said Tim.
Gus, their seven-year-old Mastiff Boxer mix, was saved, but Gwen, their one-year-old Kane Corso, didn’t make it.
"We started doing maybe dog-CPR whatever we could, you know, blowing into their nose and pushing on their chest," said Tim. "One of the pups did come back. All of a sudden, I hear Macy screaming, 'Gus is up, Gus is up." So he came back, and then unfortunately, [we] couldn't get Gwenny."
They said the fire was reportedly from a lightning strike that sent a power surge through the house. A strike report from their insurance company indicates that around 10:45 p.m., there was a lightning strike within a one-mile radius of their home.
"They believe that the fan above the couch is what sparked and fell down onto the couch and lit the couch on fire," said Tim.
So, while the outside of the house looks fine, the inside is another story.
"We have a two-story house and everything's black on the inside - melted soot all over the walls, all over the floors ,over every item we own," said Tim. "So it'll be it'll be down to the studs in a complete rebuild."
They said money can replace the items in their home, but it won’t bring back their beloved Gwen.
Tuesday afternoon, Tim brought flowers for her.
"It's just all just stuff," said Macy while choking back tears. "I just wish we had her."
"Our dogs are family, she's irreplaceable," said Tim. "So that one hurts quite a bit."
Their message to others is to be intentional with notifications and get a camera with a heat sensor.
"Our phones constantly are dinging with different notifications and the one that stood out to us was the one that's in the nursery," said Macy. "We wouldn't have rushed home the way we did if it weren't for the camera."
The Osmans have a GoFundMe to help rebuild their home. For more information, you can click here.
Their family is also hosting a Charity Golf Outing at the Carrollwood Country Club on August 18th at 10 a.m. It's an event to honor Gwen. The Osmans said local businesses are encouraged to participate.
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