The fast-moving thunderstorm that rumbled through the area early Tuesday night shot a bolt of lightning toward a home in Deerfield, possibly igniting a fire that destroyed the barn attached to the residence.
Deerfield Assistant Fire Chief John Dubiansky said Wednesday that no one, including firefighters, was hurt, adding that two people escaped the blaze at 12 Coffeetown Road. He said at least two dogs made it out as well, but he believed that at least two cats were missing.
The initial call came in at 6:12 p.m., Dubiansky said. Around a dozen departments were dispatched to the fire, he said, and it took two hours to bring under control. Dubiansky said he believed that this was a two-alarm fire, maybe three.
Chief Matt Fisher was unavailable for confirmation.
“We’re not sure yet what caused it,” Dubiansky said. “The homeowner said he heard a strike and went outside and saw the barn on fire.”
Dubiansky noted that flames shot at least 30 feet into the air, perhaps higher. The barn and a 20-foot ell that connected it to the main house were lost. The house, Dubiansky said, remained livable.
“There was water damage and smoke damage in the house,” Dubiansky said. “There was quite a bit of water on the first level and into the basement, but it was still standing and mostly intact.”
The storm knocked out power to thousands of Unitil and Eversource customers, mostly in Concord, a published report said.
Also affected were parts of Penacook, Boscawen, Bow, Canterbury, Chichester, Epsom, Loudon, Salisbury, and Webster, the report said.
Smaller outages were reported in Bradford, Hopkinton, Sutton and Warner, the report said.
While the cause of the Deerfield fire had yet to be determined by Tuesday afternoon, lighting was the most likely cause, Dubiansky said. He said that fires, possibly caused by lightning, were reported elsewhere in the Granite State, including in Fremont.