Crews still in attendance at country house near Midhurst

At its peak, eight fire engines were in attendance at the home in Easebourne, near Midhurst, yesterday morning.

One crew from Midhurst remain at the scene damping down the roof and checking for hotspots.

A witness said he "had never seen anything like it".

A spokeswoman for West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service said: "Yesterday at 7.23am, we were responded to a fire at a property in Henley Old Road, Easebourne, after it had been struck by lightning.

"Upon arrival smoke was issuing from the roof space and crews quickly got to work to extinguish the blaze.

"At its peak, eight fire engines were in attendance, as well as specialist appliances. Assistance was also provided by Hampshire and Surrey Fire & Rescue Services.

"Firefighters used hose reels, jets, fog nails and thermal imaging cameras to put the fire out, but unfortunately the house has suffered severe damage.

Fire service vehicles at the scene (Image: Steve Johnson)

"One crew from Midhurst remains at the scene damping down and checking for hotspots."

There were seven fire engines and one command unit vehicle in attendance for much of the day.

It comes after The Met Office issued a yellow weather warning for thunderstorms for most of the country.

The Duke of Cumberland Arms, a nearby pub, had to close all morning due to the road closure during the blaze.

Simon Goodman, head chef and owner, said they had to close for lunchtime service and turned away more than 100 customers.

He added: “We closed the pub because it’s a single-track narrow road and they had to use the water supply so we didn’t have any water in the morning.

“We will be fine, we just hope everyone is fine in the village.

“We’re now making bacon sandwiches for the fire service.”