Lightning sets off gas fire at Washington St home; damage limited to exterior

A lightning strike is believed to have caused a nearly catastrophic fire at a Washington Street home Sunday evening.

Dispatchers for Abington Fire received multiple calls at 7:45 p.m. reporting a structure fire at 439 Washington Street as intense storms were moving through the area.

Firefighters upon arrival saw heavy flames on the side of the house and realized they were coming from a natural gas line feeding the house, Fire Chief Jack Glynn said.

Because the rupture was located between the ground and the service meter,  firefighters had to wait for National Grid to arrive and turn off gas service at the street.

Glynn said firefighters in the meantime used multiple hoses to create a water barrier, preventing the gas-fed flames from spreading to the rest of the house.

Once the gas service was turned off, the fire was doused quickly. Damage from the fire was mostly limited to the home’s exterior.

“This situation is something that every firefighter gets training with,” he said. “The fire can’t be extinguished until the fuel source gets removed, so cooling and protecting the exposure is the priority for fire protection.”

Crews from Whitman and Rockland assisted Abington firefighters with the blaze. Avon and East Bridgewater fire crews provided mutual aid coverage.  

The house is a specialized group home occupied by five adults and multiple staff members,  Glynn said. Everyone left the building safely before firefighters arrived. Because the storm was still moving through and dropping heavy rain, neighbors provided temporary indoor shelter for the home’s residents, according to Glynn.

There were no injuries reported, but two residents were transported to a local hospital as a precaution.

Severe thunderstorms roared through the area Sunday afternoon and evening, bringing soaking rains and vivid lightning. There were multiple lightning strikes in town around the time the fire started, including a house on Rockland Street that was hit shortly before the Washington Street fire started, according to Glynn.