Hingham Fire Department Believes Workers Accidentally Started Attic Blaze

The Hingham Fire Department believe a blow torch used by workers installing an air condition is what caused a fire in the attic of a Hingham home last Thursday afternoon.

Hingham Fire Captain Robert Keys said the fire broke out at 12:42 p.m. at 284 High Street and was accidentally started by the workers.  The flames, which caused an estimated $150,000 in damage, left the home uninhabitable, Keys said.

Keys said firefighters were forced to pull down three quarters of the ceiling on the second floor just to get at the flames. 

The blaze was extinguished in just 15 minutes but firefighters remained at the scene for over two hours to clear out smoke and inspect the rest of the home. 

The workers, who were the only ones in the home when the fire started, made it out safely, Keys said.  No firefighters were injured.

While firefighters were at the scene, Hingham police closed areas of the road off for over two hours.  This is the first reported house fire  of the year in Hingham.