Homes evacuated after lightning strike starts fire

Several homes in Leicestershire had to be evacuated after a property was struck by lightning, causing a fire.

Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service said crews were called at 04:57 BST on Thursday to a fire on the roof of a house in Bayswater Road, Melton, after reports it had been hit during a thunderstorm.

A spokesperson for the service said the fire had now been extinguished and there were no casualties.

Fire crews, a building inspector, and staff from National Grid remain in attendance at the scene.

The fire service said crews from Melton Mowbray, Oakham, Billesdon and Central Fire Station all attended, with support from fire services in Northamptonshire and Lincolnshire.

In a separate incident in the village of Witherley, near Atherstone, a bungalow was heavily damaged after a direct hit by lightning.

Fire crews found a blaze in the roof of the property at Orchard Close after being called at around 03:45 BST on Thursday.

Firefighters used a ladder to access the roof space to tackle the fire but "due to the intensity of the flames bursting through the roof, crews had to be withdrawn", Nuneaton Fire Station said.

No injuries were reported as personnel from Nuneaton, Polesworth and Leicestershire worked to prevent the fire spreading to the adjacent bungalow.

Many other parts of the country saw overnight thunder and lightning, which followed record-breaking temperatures for this time of year.

In Yorkshire, Transpennine Express said a lightning strike had damaged a signalling system and caused a fault.

A suspected lightning strike has also caused disruption on the West Coast Main Line near Runcorn, Network Rail said.

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