NORTH SMITHFIELD/BURRILLVILLE – A brief but powerful storm kept firefighters busy Friday afternoon with multiple reports of lightning strikes in the area.
The lightning struck one home at 35 Rainville Ave. in North Smithfield, which sustained minor damage in a two-alarm fire.
The storm blew into town just before 3 p.m. with reports of a tree down and on fire. Soon after, crews responded to the single family home, including mutual aid from Woonsocket, East Burrillville and Blackstone, Mass.
“We received a call just after 3:00 for a house fire at that location,” said Chief David Chartier.
“First arriving companies found significant fire conditions from the far end of the house,” Chartier said. “Crews knocked the fire down quickly and then had extensive overhaul to check for extension of the fire.”
Chartier said the cause of the fire was a lightning strike. The owner, he noted, was home at the time of the fire and self evacuated, and no one was injured in the incident.
The blaze extinguished by 4 p.m.
He noted that a tree in town was also caught on fire after being struck by lightning and was responded to without incident.
In Burrillville, Harrisville firefighter responded to reports of a lightning strike on Cherry Farm Road. Lt. Nicholas Brooks said crews went out to the are but did not find any damage.
Editor’s note: The above has been edited from its original version to add comments from Chief Chartier.
