One of the houses’ roofs was completely destroyed, and half of the first floor was also damaged, as was a portion of the roof of a neighbouring property. Before the Brigade arrived, nine people had left the house and two surrounding properties. There were no injuries reported.
The fire is believed to have been started by a lightning strike during a thunderstorm.
According to a spokesperson for the London Fire Brigade: “The occupants were sleeping when they were startled awake by a loud bang and a fire in the loft space.
“Lightning-caused fires are extremely rare, but they can cause significant damage.
“Crews worked tirelessly to keep this fire as contained as possible, and thankfully, no one was injured.”
The Fire Department was called at 12.05 a.m., and the fire was out by 1.52 a.m. The incident was attended by ten fire engines and approximately 70 firefighters from Dagenham, Hornchurch, Barking, and surrounding fire stations.
