Do they cause house fires?

PLYMOUTH — In a rare occurrence, a lightning strike recently caused a house fire in Plymouth, according to Plymouth Fire Chief Neil Foley.

Plymouth firefighters said they received a call from a neighbor shortly before 1 p.m. on May 23 to report that a nearby house was on fire after being struck by lightning.

Crews from three Plymouth fire companies worked diligently to extinguish flames in the one-story ranch-style home, but extensive smoke and water damage left the home uninhabitable, Foley said .

“Preliminary investigation indicates that the fire was most likely caused by lightning from the storms that passed through the area on Thursday,” Foley said.

With more summer storms on the horizon, here's everything you need to know about lightning-caused structure fires.

How often does lightning cause structure fires?

There are about 35 structure fires caused by lightning each year in Massachusetts, according to Jake Wark, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services.

However, Wark says that figure is likely lower.

“Our statistics are based on figures reported to us by local fire departments. They cannot include cases where the cause of the fire is officially undetermined. The fire was probably caused by lightning, but the damage makes it impossible to officially determine,” he said.