An explosion sent two people to the hospital from a home in Holliston, Massachusetts, on Monday, police said.
The explosion in the home on Westfield Drive remained under investigation by police and local firefighters, according to the Holliston Police Department.
Kristen Mahoney heard an explosion coming from the home right across the street and she ran outside.
"I saw my neighbor running out," she said. "He was yelling, 'Call 911.'"
She says her neighbor and another man were clearly in distress as they shouted for help.
"I saw their injuries were severe," said Mahoney. "I wanted to be helpful so they didn't get hurt further. I put them on my lawn. I told them to sit down."
Other neighbors joined in to try to tend to the men and keep them calm until first responders arrived.
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"They were coherent when they came out, because they asked me to call their wives," said Mahoney. "They went into shock, and thank goodness fire and police were here right away."
Investigators say the men, ages 59 and 61, had burns to more than a third of their bodies. They were flown to Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.
"I can tell they were troubleshooting an issue with HVAC equipment in the basement," said Holliston Fire Chief Michael Cassidy.
Firefighters say the homeowner and an electrician had been in the basement working on a problem with the boiler.
"It may be when that electrical storm came through Friday evening, some equipment related to the boiler may have sustained damage," said Cassidy.
Investigators say there is no neighborhood-wide issue.
"It's awful," said Fran Gorman, a family friend of the homeowners. "It's tragic. I'm devastated for them. Most Christmas Eves, I go over there, they have a big party."
The investigation is ongoing and involves the Holliston Police Department, Holliston Fire Department, Eversource Electric and Eversource gas, authorities said.
