Residents reflect on lightning strike which sparked a house fire in their street

People living on one side of Bayswater Road were evacuated as the street filled with smoke and multiple fire crews arrived to douse the flames in the incident, which was reported to emergency services shortly before 5am.

Angela Taylor (58) was asleep in her bedroom when the lightning bolt hit the roof of the home she shares with daughter Hannah Goddard and her child.

Hannah, who was at her partner’s house nearby with her daughter, told the Melton Times: “Mum was in bed when she heard this bang.

"She jumped out of bed and went outside because all the car alarms were going off in the street.

"She saw the flames in the roof when she was outside.

"The first I knew about it was when she called me and said ‘I’ve got no clothes and my house is on fire’.”

The house has sustained severe smoke and water damage and is currently uninhabitable so Angela has moved into a hotel.

Residents were invited into the homes of neighbours during the incident – they were allowed back into their houses around 11am.

Neighbours Richard and Lisa Cragg said they prioritised getting out of the house with their two children and the children who were on a sleepover at their house.

Richard told the Melton Times: “Our house shook when the lightning struck the house - it also hit the telephone mast near our house as well.

"We just wanted to get the kids out.”

Lisa added: “The street was just full of smoke when we got outside.

"We also made sure we helped an old lady who lives next-door to get out safely.

"The fire service were incredible – they came out so quickly.”

Multiple fire crews were deployed to the scene of the incident, which happened as a violent storm raged over the town.

Crews from Melton and Oakham were joined by colleagues from the Billesdon and Central Fire Stations to deal with the blaze.

The fire also spread to a neighbouring property and the damage was being assessed today.

Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service described the incident as ‘a significant and fast-moving fire’.

A spokesperson said: “Our on-call crews scrambled immediately, arriving on scene to a highly challenging situation.

"Facing continuous, extreme weather, our firefighters initiated an aggressive, rapid attack to bring the flames under control.

“Despite the brutal weather conditions, the incredible teamwork of our crews paid off.

“We are incredibly thankful to report that no one was harmed. Everyone made it out safely.”

Firefighters also praised residents for their response, the spokesperson adding: “We want to extend a massive thank you to all local residents for your incredible cooperation and support during this incident.

"It makes a tough job a lot easier when the community rallies together.

“Over the coming week, our teams will be re-visiting the local area to chat with residents, offer free home fire safety checks, and fit free smoke alarms to any properties that need them.”