Thornton house catches fire after being struck by lightning

Fire crews were called to the detached home in Bluebell Close, off Pheasant Wood Drive in Thornton, after it caught fire in a lightning strike shortly after 4pm yesterday (July 9).

The family and their pets, who were inside when the lightning made a direct hit on their home, were able to escape unharmed but their home suffered serious damage in the ensuing fire.

The blaze was already under way when four fire engines from Bispham, Wesham, St Annes and South Shore, and the aerial ladder platform from Blackpool, arrived in the smoke-filled cul-de-sac.

Crews tackled the freak fire with hose reel jets for around an hour before bringing it under control.

Amy Ashton – whose mum, dad and sister were inside when the lightning struck their home – took to Facebook later in the evening to thank the fire service and neighbours for their help.

She said: “Just want to say, on behalf of my parents and my sister who were in the house when the lightning struck and set fire to their house, a massive thank you to the fire brigade, friends, family, neighbours and people on Pheasant Wood Drive, you have all been amazing.

"Luckily no one was hurt and the house is lucky to be standing with a lot of damage to repair. Everyone’s OK, including the animals. Just a lot of work to be done.”

The freak lightning strike came as Lancashire was battered by thunderstorms and heavy downpours on Sunday, which left roads and streets flooded across the county.

The Met Office has forecast further thunderstorms from around 7pm this evening (Monday, July 10).

Fire service statement

A spokesman for the fire service said: “At 4.11pm, four fire engines from Bispham, Wesham, St Annes, South Shore and an aerial ladder platform from Blackpool attended an incident on Bluebell Close, Thornton Cleveleys.

"The fire involved a domestic property. Firefighters used four breathing apparatus, two hose reel jets to extinguish the fire, crews were in attendance for one hour.”