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Members of the Nichols Fire Department were dispatched to Round Ridge Trail in Trumbull shortly after midnight on Wednesday, Jan. 9, where there was a report of a lightning strike and the smell of smoke in a local home.
According to Nichols Fire Chief Andrew Kingsbury, the initial call was followed by several other reports of lightning strikes on Round Ridge Trail and Hillandale Terrace.
In total, Kingsbury said that two homes and an outdoor shed suffered structural damage from the lightning strikes, three additional homes had damage to electrical equipment, and a car that was struck was rendered inoperable. Each scene was cleared by 1:45 a.m. on Wednesday morning.
The Trumbull Fire Marshal’s Office is continuing its investigation. None of the occupants of the homes or any firefighters were injured as they worked at the scene.
“The Nichols Fire Department would like to remind all residents to never hesitate to dial 911 if they smell smoke or feel their residence has been struck by lightning,” Kingsbury wrote in an email.
“Additionally we would advise residents to never attempt to reset a circuit breaker after a lightning strike or electrical problem in their home, please call the Fire Department for an investigation. Finally, we cannot stress enough the importance of having working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in your home. ‘Smoke detectors save lives.’
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