Express & Star

Lightning strike blows 3ft hole in ceiling of Wolverhampton grandmother

An 84-year-old grandmother has told how her house was struck by lightning, blowing a 3ft hole in the ceiling.

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Kathleen Palmer was in the kitchen of her home in Windmill Crescent, Castlecroft, Wolverhampton, when the house was hit.

Mrs Palmer was today awaiting a visit from a structural engineer after spending last night with a neighbour.

"I was looking for a button to sew on a dress when their was this almighty bang," she said.

"It was a bit frightening, but I'm all right now."

"People were out in the street, everyone thought a plane had come down.

"The electrics went out, and I went upstairs to check, and there was a hole in the ceiling over my bed.

"I heard a bit of crackling in the loft, and I went out to have a look, and smoke was coming out of my roof."

Crews from Tettenhall and Wolverhampton fire stations attended the blaze after she called 999 on her mobile phone.

Crew Commander Paul Danby said the firefighters spent around half an hour tackling the flames, and the blaze had damaged around a third of the area within the roof space of the semi-detached house.

He said the smoke alarm went off in the adjoining house, allowing its occupants to get outside.

"We're asking people to insure their smoke alarms are working," said Mr Danby.

"When we have this sort of weather, when something like this happens it means people are able to get out of their homes as quickly as possible."

The family in the house next door was able to return to the property, although the electricity supply of both properties was disconnected as a precaution.

Mrs Palmer, a widow, said she had been overwhelmed with the kindness of her neighbours who had rallied round to help following the strike around 2pm on Friday.

"Everybody has been wonderful," she said.

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