PAXTON — A two-alarm fire that heavily damaged a home on Holden Road Friday night was most likely caused by a nearby lightning strike, according to the Paxton Fire Department.
At approximately 10:20 p.m. on Aug. 7, 2026, firefighters were dispatched to 105 Holden Road following multiple 911 calls from neighbors and passing motorists reporting a structure fire.
Upon confirmation of a working fire, Wachusett Regional Emergency Communications activated an automatic mutual aid assignment.
When Paxton firefighters arrived on scene, they found the home’s two-car garage and the rooms above it fully engulfed in flames. All occupants had safely evacuated before firefighters arrived.
The Paxton Fire Department reported that a second-alarm response was requested as the fire spread into the attic. Paxton Ladder 1 and Engine 3 began suppression operations with assistance from Holden Engine 4 and Rutland Engine 1.
Firefighters from Leicester conducted roof ventilation operations and encountered heavy fire after opening the roof, while crews from West Boylston, Oakham, Sterling and Worcester conducted an interior attack in other areas of the home.
The fire was brought under control in approximately one hour, though firefighters remained at the scene into the early morning hours Saturday conducting overhaul operations and extinguishing remaining hot spots, the Paxton Fire Department reported.
The Spencer Fire Department assisted with Rapid Intervention Team duties and overhaul operations, while crews from Princeton, Barre, and Oxford provided additional support.
Several firefighters were evaluated and treated at the scene by Leicester EMS and Spencer Fire EMS for heat exhaustion and injuries related to overexertion. None required transportation to the hospital.
Rehab 78 provided rehabilitation services for firefighters and support for the affected family. Worcester Ladder 7, Brookfield Engine 1, and a Charlton Fire Department ambulance provided station coverage during the incident.
The family’s cat was unable to be rescued and died in the fire.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but fire officials said it was most likely caused by a nearby lightning strike that caused an electrical line to fall into the garage.
