Couple and pets saved after lightning strike house blaze

A mates and their 7 pets person been helped to information by neighbours aft a lightning onslaught acceptable occurrence to the extortion of their house.

Essex Fire and Rescue crews were called to reports of a blaze astatine a bungalow connected York Avenue successful Corringham astatine astir 03:45 BST connected Sunday.

When crews arrived, fume was billowing from the blazing roof.

Thanks to neighbours, the mates and their six dogs and a feline got retired of the spot safely, the occurrence work said.

Watch Manager Geoff Wheal said: "The mates were woken by a monolithic bang and past heard neighbours knocking connected their door."

He added that crews worked "incredibly hard" to extinguish the fire.

"Although the extortion and archetypal level bedrooms were severely damaged, they managed to halt the occurrence from spreading to the crushed level and prevention the property."

Crews from Corringham, Orsett, Basildon and Grays attended and the occurrence was extinguished by astir 05:45 BST, the occurrence work said.