Great flames burst from the roof of a house and licked upwards into the watery sky after a bolt of lightning struck a home.
The property in Ashby, Leicestershire became an inferno in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service were called out to the fire at 1.16am, sending seven different appliances out from across the county to tackle the blaze, Leicestershire Live reports.
When crews arrived they found the flames had ripped through the roof and breached the attic.
The fire service later reported that no one had been injured.
Four fire engines, a Command Support Vehicle, an Aerial Ladder Platform (ALP), and an Incident Support Unit were all called to the fire, with firefighters using two hose reels, four lots of breathing apparatus, and an extension ladder to access and tackle the fire.
Police shut down the area while the flames were doused.
An eyewitness to the fire said there was a family in the house at the time of the lightning strike, but they had all made it clear from the property.
A spokesperson for the Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service said: "We were called to Ashby Road, Coalville, at 1.16 on Sunday morning.
"We had received a call reporting lightning had struck roof of property which had caught fire.
"First Impression message confirmed the house was well alight, with two breathing apparatus being committed and Aerial Ladder Platform requested, as well as making up to four pumps for personnel and water for the Aerial Ladder Platform.
"Informative Message confirmed a property involved in the fire due to being struck by lightning, and the fire confined to loft space.
"Four lots of breathing apparatus, two hose reels, one main jet and the short extension ladder were in use, with an Incident Support Unit requested for salvage and sheeting.
"There were two fire engines from Coalville, one fire engine from Ashby, one fire engine from Loughborough, one Command Support Vehicle from Shepshed, one Aerial Ladder Platform from Birstall, and an Incident Support Unit from Oakham sent to the incident."
