Lightning from a short but severe rainstorm early this morning apparently sparked fires at two homes in Butler County, authorities said.

The fires, about 90 minutes apart, badly damaged a three-story house in Cranberry Township and destroyed an abandoned mobile home in Parker Township.

A family of three barely had time to get out safely after they realized their home at 150 Woodbine Road was on fire about 3:30 a.m., said Chief Brian Kovac of the Cranberry Township Volunteer Fire Company.

“They had to get out right away,” Kovac said. “The fire went up pretty fast.”

The house is owned by Nikolas Little, who was not home at the time, and his wife, Cynthia Little, who was home with the couple’s two adult sons, authorities said.

Fire officials suspect a bolt of lightning struck the back of the house, causing a fire that quickly spread from the third floor to the attic.

“We were able to get a crew inside right away,” Kovac said. “Luckily, there was a hydrant in front of the house and that made our job easier.”

Authorities estimated the damage at a minimum of $100,000. The house is insured. The family is temporally staying with relatives, authorities said.

While the storm drenched the county and lit up the sky, another lightning strike about 5 a.m. is believed to have ignited a fire at a singlewide mobile home at 445 Daubenspeck Road in Parker Township.

The trailer, owned by Jeff Wood, had been previously abandoned.

Some 30 firefighters from five departments used air-compressed foam to snuff out the blaze in about 20 minutes.