Devastation as Essington family loses 'all their belongings' after lightning strike causes huge house blaze

The house was among four which was alight after lightning struck in Kitchen Lane in Essington, near Wolverhampton, on Saturday evening.

Residents were evacuated from three of the homes, whilst the fourth was empty.

Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service confirmed no one was injured in the fires.

Now, a fundraiser has been set up to help a family of six, as well as their pet pooch Sky, who were affected by the fire.

The GoFundMe page, set up on the day following the blaze, had generated £4,858 of its £5,000 target as of Tuesday morning.

A statement on the page read: "Hi my name is Rachel Anne Lee and I’m raising money for my daughters best friends family.

"A wonderful kind caring family of six including their beautiful dog, Sky.

"On September 21, their family home was hit by lighting and they lost not only their home but all their personal and essential belongings.

"Please take a moment to think how grateful you are to have a roof over your head let alone loosing all the content to your home.

"Even if £1 is all you have spare, the penny's makes the pounds and it all adds up. Every little helps."

Crews from both West Midlands Fire Service and Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service were called to tackle the flames at about 9.10pm.

A spokesman for Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service said: "We worked to contain the fire at the scene and make sure everyone was safe. The gas and electric supply to the area was isolated while the fires were extinguished.

"Thankfully, no-one was injured. A thermal scan of the area was carried out in the early hours of the following morning to make sure no hotspots were left over."

A spokeswoman for West Midlands Ambulance Service said crews were not called to the fire.

To donate to the fundraiser, visit the GoFundMe page.