Yorkshire home left with unsafe chimney after being struck by lightning during storm

Fire crews, police and paramedics were all sent to the property on East Parade in Harrogate, as heavy rain, thunder and lightning struck across Yorkshire overnight. One occupant inside the house was suffering from shock after the house was struck by the lightning bolt. The person was treated by paramedics at the scene.

Police had put a cordon around the house due to an unsafe chimney stack, which led to some debris falling into the road. Crews from North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service attended to check the property for hazards or signs of fire.

A statement from the service said: “Crews from Harrogate and Knaresborough responded to a residential property that had been struck by lightning. Crews checked the property for signs of fire or hazards.

"One occupant suffered shock as a result of the lightning strike, though was not injured directly as first thought, and was attended to by paramedics.

"The incident was left in the hands of police to cordon the property due to an unsafe chimney stack with some of the debris falling into the road.”

Crews from NYFRS were called out across Harrogate overnight, after several properties reported flooding in Harrogate. They used buckets to get water from a property on East Park Road, and a pump to get water out of a home on Crab Lane.

No action was taken at homes in Devonshire Place, East Parade and Skipton Road. Crews were also called to Ingmanthorpe where a lightning strike had caused a power line to arc towards trees. They stood by until the scene was safe and left it in hands of power grid engineers.