Lightning-Sparked Abington House Fire Sends Firefighter to Hospital

The strike hit a roughly 60-foot pine tree behind the home at 395 Randolph St. and created a trench from the tree toward the garage, where an electrical panel caught fire. The blaze broke out during a strong thunderstorm and spread from the garage toward a breezeway connected to the house.

Firefighters were called shortly after 5 a.m. and found flames coming from two sides of the garage. The response grew to three alarms. All four people who lived in the home had evacuated before crews arrived. One firefighter was taken to a hospital for evaluation and treatment for smoke inhalation; no other injuries were reported.

Firefighters contained the blaze after an extended effort, though they were still handling flare-ups on November 6. The fire caused substantial damage, and an outdoor cable and a lock at a neighboring home melted, leaving the basement door welded shut.

Police closed the road for about three hours to manage traffic during the emergency response. A civilian car struck a fire engine as the road was being closed, causing minor damage but no injuries. National Grid and town building and wiring inspectors also responded.

The fire chief said the crew on duty had responded to 23 calls during its shift, amid multiple fire alarm activations during the storm. Neighboring communities, including Brockton, Weymouth, Holbrook and Rockland, sent responders to assist.