EASTHAMPTON — Police and fire departments responded to a fire caused by lightning that heavily damaged a house on Hannum Brook Drive.
At approximately 3:45 p.m. homeowner Kim Madden-Lajoie said she heard a “loud crack that sounded like light bulbs exploding” and immediately after, smoke alarms began going off. She was in the kitchen with her 12-year-old daughter, her daughter’s friend, and her 2-year-old son and she made sure they got out of the house. Homeowner Lindsey Lajoie also got out right after hearing the lightning strike.
When they got out they could see smoke coming out of the roof and Madden-Lajoie called 9-1-1.
Everyone inside the home got out safely, she said. Firefighters were still working on putting out the fire an hour later.
Fire departments from Easthampton, Northampton, Holyoke, Westfield, Southampton and South Hadley responded to the fire. With temperatures around 90, firefighters attempted to extinguish the fire on the second floor of the building.
Thick white smoke billowed from two large holes on the roof as firefighters inside the building used hoses to attack the flames. Firefighters had to use a 100-foot ladder truck to douse the flames from above the roof.
Firefighters were able to rescue the Lajoies’ wedding pictures and brought them out, Madden-Lajoie said.
“The baby got up from his nap about 10 minutes before (the lightning strike),” she said. “Thank God, because his room is on the second floor so if for nothing else I am grateful for that.”
The Fire Department did not release any information about the fire on Tuesday evening. A fire official said information wouldn’t be released until Wednesday morning.