BELMONT - A lightning strike is being blamed for a fire in a Darby Drive home Wednesday morning that displaced two people and caused an estimated $85,000 in damage.

According to a fire department press release, Donald and Kathleen Carlson’s home at 410 Darby Drive was struck by lightning Tuesday night. The lightning traveled along the wiring inside the walls where it eventually started a fire.

Mr. Carlson noticed the smoke Wednesday about 5:25 a.m. and saw flames in the wall of one of the bedrooms.

He woke his wife, and the couple, along with their two cats, fled the home.

Firefighters ran 1,400 foot of hose from a fire hydrant and began an interior attack of the fire, which was concentrated in the attic. Firefighters were ordered out of the building as flames went through the roof.

Ultimately, the blaze was put out by firefighters from Belmont and other towns including Gilford and Tilton-Northfield.

The home was equipped with smoke detectors, but due to the fire being in the wall and attic, they did not activate, according to fire officials.