Houses explode in huge ball of flames after being hit by lightning

A home went up in flames after it was struck by lightning during last night’s storms.

Witnesses said there was a ‘loud explosion’ and flash of white light in Corfe Mullen, near Poole in Dorset, at around midnight.

The £400,000 property, which contains two homes, was hit directly by the lightning and burst into flames.

Neighbour and graphic designer Warren Windebank, 47, said: ‘I saw the roof was on fire and did not know if anyone was inside.

‘The door was open so I looked inside but tiles started to fall off the roof and it looked like it was about to collapse so I got out of there.’

The occupants of the two properties – a young woman and a middle-aged woman – were awoken by the noise and managed to escape just before the fire took over. Around 15 people were evacuated from the neighbouring homes.

Another neighbour added: ‘I was in my lounge and heard a massive explosion sound, which caused me to panic.

‘I rushed outside but there was no sign of a fire, so I went back in my flat.

‘But five minutes later I saw black smoke so I looked out of the window and saw the house on fire.

‘I went outside and saw the front door to the home was open so I shouted, “Is anyone in there?” and a woman said she had come out.’

Six fire crews battled for two-and-a-half hours to put out the fire, and stayed in the area for another three hours.

A spokesperson from Dorset and Wiltshire Fire Rescue said: ‘We were called to Coronation Way, Corfe Mullen, at 12.19am after a lightning strike caused a significant fire in the roof space of two attached properties.

‘Twelve breathing apparatus wearers used three hose reel jets and two main jets to bring the fire under control.

‘Our stop was at 2.40am and we had left the scene by 5.30am, although a crew will be back this morning for a reinspection in daylight.

‘Thankfully no-one was injured and everyone was out safely when we arrived, but the two affected houses are badly damaged.’

Thunderstorms kept Brits awake overnight while lightning gathered momentum across parts of the UK.

People took to social media to share videos of the downpour, with one Londoner claiming she had never seen rain like that in the capital.

Exeter Airport was forced to temporarily close and several flights were cancelled last night.

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