During Intense Storm Lightning Causes Manchester House Fire

MANCHESTER, NH — Several cities and towns in New Hampshire were under tornado warnings when lightning caused a house fire on the west side of Manchester.

Manchester Fire was dispatched to 370 Boynton St. near the Bedford town line Sunday for a report of a house struck by lightning and smoke from the attic. Firefighters arrived at the scene just after 6 p.m. and had smoke showing from the eaves of the house and stretched hose lines and set up ladder trucks.

Crews entered the house and found no one was home, and the fire appeared to be confined to the attic. Holes were cut to ventilate the fire and smoke while other firefighters worked to check the entire house.

A fire in a second-floor closet was located and extinguished quickly. The fire was brought under control in about 20 minutes and remained at one alarm.

MFD Battalion Chief Kenneth Proulx said it appears lightning struck a neighbor's tree and jumped to the front of the house. Damage on the second-floor eaves appears to indicate where it entered the house, and burn marks in the back of the house appear to be where the lightning exited.

The tree to the right of the house had significant damage, with bark and wood scattered on the lawn.

Proulx said there were several small fires in the attic that crews extinguished.

No civilians or firefighters were injured. Eversource disconnected the power to the house, which will need repairs before the occupants can return.

After the fire was extinguished, a Manchester firefighter took the time to spend some time with a young girl who appeared intrigued by what the firefighters were doing.

©Jeffrey Hastings www.frameofmindphoto.com/news.