Sports center in Hingham, Massachusetts gutted in fire
The South Shore Sports Center, a popular complex for the community in Hingham, Massachusetts, was destroyed in a fire overnight.
Flames broke out in the facility on Recreation Park Drive just after 11 p.m. Thursday and quickly tore through the roof.
3rd Alarm Hingham Ma. 50 Recreation Park Drive. (2) pic.twitter.com/Aok61JRI7V
— Stewie (@MassFirePics) June 27, 2025Firefighters found heavy flames in the kitchen and dining area. They spent hours trying to save the building, but Hingham Deputy Fire Chief David Levenson said the building is a total loss.
The sports complex is well known on the South Shore for its sports leagues and birthday parties.
"Everything went on here"
"It's been around for 25 years or more (for) soccer, basketball, baseball. Everything went on here. It's going to be a loss for the community if they're unable to rebuild," Levenson told reporters Friday.
The building is so damaged investigators can't get inside yet to find out where and how the fire started. Firefighters had trouble getting water to douse the flames.
"We're in sort of a not a main road, so the water mains are generally a little bit smaller and the amount of water we were requiring was more than the main could supply. We notified the water company. They did what they could to pump up the pressure. You can only give so much," the deputy chief said.
Levenson said the next step will be the demolition of the complex.
"It had so many memories"
"It's just sad," said Hingham resident Leeandria Mannion. "That's why I just felt I needed to come down here just to see because it had so many memories. Yeah, it's tough."
The South Shore Sports Center is family owned and operated, according to its website, and provides the community "with a place to play, learn, and celebrate our love of sports."
Hingham is about 45 minutes southeast of Boston.
Penny Kmitt is a reporter for WBZ-TV's morning news. She joined the station in December 2023 from CBS-affiliate WTKR in Norfolk, Virginia.