A fire at a block of flats in north London is believed to have started after a lightning strike on Sunday morning. Nearly all of the roof and three-quarters of the second floor of the three-storey residential block in Wembley were damaged in the fire.
All of the residents, none of whom were seriously hurt, were able to leave the building before firefighters arrived on the scene, and they were evacuated to a nearby church.
More than 80 firefighters used a range of techniques and equipment to tackle the blaze, including newly developed line operations equipment, which enabled fire crews to work at height and allowed direct access to areas of the burning building that could have otherwise been difficult to reach.
Firefighters were called shortly after 7.00am on Sunday and the fire was under control at around 6.15 pm.
In a separate incident a fire swept through a campsite in Dorset after lightning struck and set fire to caravans and other buildings. BBC News reported that more than 40 firefighters were called to Norden Farm near Corfe Castle shortly after midnight. Only one of the caravans was occupied and those inside escaped unhurt.
