Lightning strike destroys 10-bedroom home
A 10-bedroom home in Sydney’s northwest has been “completely destroyed” in a massive blaze, believed to have been started by a lightning strike.
Firefighters were called to the property on Cattai Ridge Rd in Glenorie, a rural suburb of Sydney, at about 9.30pm on Wednesday.
About 85 firefighters and 21 fire trucks fought for hours to bring the fire under control, with the house already well alight upon arrival.
“The complexity was that the fire spread so quickly through such a large home which made access quite difficult,” a NSW Fire and Rescue Service (NSWRFS) spokesperson said.
“Quite early on there was some structural collapse with the roof, meaning firefighters couldn’t access inside the structure itself.”
Fire crews were able to extinguish the inferno by about midnight, remaining on the scene for hours.
While the house, home to a family of seven, was “completely destroyed”, a shed on the property was protected from the blaze.
Neighbouring homes, which were some distance away, also did not sustain any damage.
Everybody at the home was accounted for and there were no reported injuries.
While NSWRFS is unable to confirm whether a lightning strike started the blaze, a spokesperson said investigations into the cause would begin today.
Locals and family members told 9News that they believed lightning hit the home after a storm rolled through, sparking the fire.
