Lightning Hits NK Home: Fire Department

NORTH KINGSTOWN, RI—Crews responded to Cassandra Lane for a structure fire on Wednesday. According to Deputy Chief Philip Baldrich, the house was struck by lightning, which traveled all through the single family home and started a small electrical fire in the garage. The fire was reported around 3:30 or 4 p.m., he said and was knocked down quickly, but caused smoke.

The fire was in a small plastic transformer, he said, and the crews stayed to clear the smoke and the fumes from the burning plastic.

No one was injured, and there didn't appear to be any pets in the house, he said.

The lightning strike was part of a day of wild weather which toppled trees and utility poles across Southern New England and left 14,000 in Rhode Island without power during the day. By midnight, the power was restored to all but a handful of customers in South Kingstown and Smithfield.

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