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"The vacationing homeowner is extremely lucky, as is the family dog," Police Chief Dean Ackermann said.
Lightning struck a tree in the backyard of the Prospect Avenue home, sending a current through an overhead electrical wire for decorative yard lights and into the house, the chief said.
It blew a surveillance camera off the back of the home, shattered a kitchen window and sent an electrical wall socket flying over the counter, he said.
The storm blew through between 6 and 11 p.m. Wednesday.
The dog walker showed up around 7 a.m. and found an electrical outlet blown off the kitchen wall and some debris on the floor, the chief said.
"There was no fire, but she smelled an odor and called PSE&G," he said.
The utility company called 911, bringing firefighters from Glen Rock and Fair Lawn, followed by Fair Lawn firefighters, Ridgewood police and a PSE&G crew.
"There were no injuries involved and the dog was a little upset but unharmed," Ackermann said. "PSE&G immediately shut off utilities to the house.
"While considerable repairs will need to be made, the house was not structurally compromised and there was no fire," the chief said.
The initial report of an explosion brought TV choppers to the neighborhood.
Boyd A. Loving took the photo and contributed to this story.
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