Lightning Strike Sparks Fire on Residential Roof
A man recounted his urgent efforts to alert neighbours after lightning struck a house roof, igniting a fire that quickly spread.
Stuart Dunn, a 36-year-old primary school teacher, had to forcefully knock on the door of the affected home, as the occupant was asleep downstairs with her dog, unaware of the fire above.
Dunn then used a torch to wake another neighbour who was sleeping with an eye mask and ear plugs, ensuring their safety.
Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service reported that crews responded to a two-storey, semi-detached property in Glanaman, Carmarthenshire, at approximately 23:20 BST on 27 May.
The dramatic moment when lightning struck the roof and ignited the blaze was captured on video by a local resident.
"It was quite unnerving, I've never heard thunder like that in my life,"Dunn said.
He described the eerie conditions that night, noting that the weather caused a temporary power outage in the area, stopping the fan in his bedroom for about 20 seconds before it resumed. The thunder and frequent lightning flashes left him unable to sleep.
While going to the toilet, Dunn noticed an orange flicker through the frosted glass window, initially mistaking it for a streetlight. When the light disappeared and reappeared, he opened the window and saw flames on the roof.
"I assumed it was a streetlight at first,"he explained.
"But I noticed it disappeared and then came back again, so I opened the window which is when I saw the flames on the roof."
Realizing the danger, Dunn quickly dressed and ran across the road to the burning house, knocking aggressively on the door. The owner, shocked and unaware of the fire, answered.
"I think she was in shock,"Dunn added.
"She came out of the house and I phoned 999."
Several neighbours began to emerge, but the woman living next door to the burning property did not respond.
Dunn knew this neighbour lived alone and proceeded to knock on her door repeatedly without an immediate response. He then went around to the back of the property and noticed open windows on the upper floor.
"I began flashing my phone torch as close to the window as I could and then she popped her head out, then we let her know what was going on,"he said.
"She was sleeping with an eye mask on, and ear plugs so had not heard what had happened either."
As smoke thickened, most residents evacuated their homes.
Dunn, who has lived in the area for eight years, invited the woman whose house was damaged to stay at his home so she could contact her insurance company.
"It wouldn't have sat well with me to have closed the window and gone back to bed,"he said.
"At the time I wasn't aware if anyone else had seen what happened or were aware of the flames. You'd hope any normal person would go over to let them know and help out. I don't think what I did was heroic, you just do it."
Although Dunn does not know his neighbour well, she later expressed gratitude by leaving a thank you card in his letterbox, which he described as a "nice gesture."
Resident Captures Lightning Strike on Video
Another resident, 25-year-old Maggie Rose Day, recorded the lightning strike on her phone.
"I find the weather quite fascinating so decided to get my phone out to record the sky. After 30 seconds, the lightning struck the neighbour's house. I jumped a mile, I've never heard or seen a thunderstorm like it,"she said.
Maggie also noticed the smell of smoke shortly after the strike.
Emergency Response and Damage Assessment
Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service confirmed the fire caused "significant fire damage" to the property and spread to a neighbouring house.
Dyfed-Powys Police, the ambulance service, and National Grid also attended the scene.
"All persons were accounted for and no injuries were reported,"a spokesperson stated.
Fire crews remained on site until 02:45 BST on 28 May.
