A lightning strike caused an explosion at a Brookeville home on Thursday evening, displacing five people, according to Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS) spokesperson Pete Piringer.
MCFRS personnel were dispatched to the 21600 block of Gentry Lane near New Hampshire Avenue around 5:45 p.m. for a lightning strike near the driveway in the front of a house, Piringer said on social media.
The strike, accompanied by “extreme thunder” during a storm, caused an electrical surge that led to an explosion, resulting in structural damage to the home, including the foundation wall, Piringer said.
Piringer said the explosion did not spark a fire, but there was smoke coming from the basement. All five occupants evacuated safely, but they are now displaced, he said.
Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE) secured power to the home, and a building inspector was notified after the incident, according to Piringer.
A person on X, formerly Twitter, commented on Piringer’s post, writing that “It was the loudest thunder and very bright flash of lightning – whole house shook in Olney.” Another user responded, saying that “The weird part was how long the thunder lasted, it kept going and going.”