Powerful thunderstorms caused flooding throughout the Capital Region on Tuesday and may be to blame for two house fires in Glenmont.

The Bethlehem Police Department Fire Investigation Team said it believes both fires were caused by lightning.

Firefighters from Elsmere, Delmar and Selkirk spent the early-morning hours fighting the blaze on Manor Drive, dousing the flames but not before the fire caused extensive damage inside the home.

Guy Dupuis woke up around 3 a.m. after hearing intense lightning. He said he saw a bright flash, heard a sharp crash and heard the smoke detectors go off.

His daughter Grace said when she arrived at the home on Manor Drive, smoke was pouring out of the house and firefighters were cutting holes in the roof. The flames were under control within 30 minutes, Grace Dupuis said, but the electrical system was fried. Everyone made it out of the heavily damaged home. The family's goldfish tank — and goldfish — were rescued from the flames.

"The vents are all black, there's soot everywhere," Grace Dupuis said. "Everything smells like smoke."

Investigators combed the basement for clues to the fire. Police are investigating the cause but said there were lightning strikes when the fire started at 3:45 a.m.

Maxwell Ansong, who lives about 300 feet away, said he heard the loud crash of a nearby lightning strike. He said it followed after 10 minutes of intense, continuous lightning.

"The lightning, when it comes, it comes with a rumble, but this one was different — very different," Angsong said.

About 5 a.m., a carbon monoxide alarm was activated at a home at 41 Wheeler Road in Glenmont. Bethlehem police, as well as Coeymans and Slingerlands fire departments, found a fire in the basement.

Heavy rain soaked the region. Preston Hollow in Albany County got 2.80 inches of rain. Middle Grove in Saratoga County got 3.10 inches. Northville, Fulton County, had 3.20 inches. Center Brunswick in Rensselaer County got nearly 2 inches of rain. Queensbury appeared to have gotten the heaviest amount — 3.68 inches — during the brief storm.

The reopening of Western Avenue near the end of the Northway was a sign the region was starting to recover from the overnight downpours that flooded streets and knocked out power to more than 1,400 National Grid customers.

By early afternoon, utility crews had restored service.