Crews extinguish bungalow fire after lightning strike
Crews extinguished a roof fire after a bungalow in Corringham was struck by lightning.
We were called to York Avenue today at 3.44am and crews from Corringham, Orsett, Basildon and Grays attended.
They found smoke billowing from the roof, which was completely alight.
Watch Manager Geoff Wheal said: "The couple were woken by a massive bang and then heard neighbours knocking on their door.
"Thanks to the neighbours, the couple along with their six dogs and cat got out safely.
"Crews worked incredibly hard to extinguish the fire. Although the roof and first floor bedrooms were badly damaged, they managed to stop the fire from spreading to the ground floor and save the property."
The fire was fully extinguished by 5am.
Could you be an on-call firefighter?
Corringham's crew are on-call firefighters; people who live or work within 5 minutes of their station and are paid to protect their community.
If you live or work within 5 minutes of an on-call fire station, you could be an on-call firefighter too.
Find out more about the role and how to apply at join.essex-fire.gov.uk/on-call.