Lightning strike leaves 'wonderful' family homeless as fire rips through house

A 'wonderful' family of five were left homeless when a fire ripped through their house following a lightning strike. Priceless possessions were also lost as the blaze took hold and spread to three other properties.

The terraced house in Kitchen Lane, Essington, was hit during a thunderstorm on Saturday, September 21. Firefighters were called to the scene at 9.10pm as homes were evacuated.

Luckily, no one was injured, but 'essential' and sentimental belongings were destroyed. A GoFundMe page has now been set up, aiming to raise £5,000 to support the 'caring' family affected.

READ MORE: Police make plea for footage following 'suspicious activity'

The page was set up by family friend Rachel Anne Lee, who said she was raising money for a "wonderful, kind, caring family" and their "beautiful" dog Sky. She continued: "Their family home was hit by lighting and they lost not only their home, but all their personal and essential belongings. Even if £1 is all you have spare, the pennies make the pounds and it all adds up. Every little helps."

Donations have flooded in, with less than £50 now needed to reach the target. Click here to view the page.

A Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: "A lightning strike that caused a fire in four terraced homes in Essington has been extinguished by firefighters. We got a call at about 9.10pm on Saturday (September 21) and sent a number of crews to Kitchen Lane.

"Our colleagues from West Midlands Fire Service also attended the scene alongside officers from Staffordshire Police. The lightning strike caused fires in four separate properties in the area. Three of them were evacuated and the fourth was empty.

"We worked to contain the fire at the scene and make sure everyone was safe. The gas and electric supply to the area was isolated while the fires were extinguished. Thankfully, no one was injured. thermal scan of the area was carried out in the early hours of the following morning (Sunday, September 22) to make sure no hotspots were left over.

The fire service said in the "unlikely" event that a home was struck by lightning, people should "call 999 as soon as possible". It added: "The quicker we know about these types of incidents, the quicker we can make the area safe and protect people from harm."