A TERRIFIED pensioner was forced to flee her home after it was struck by a “freak” bolt of lightning.

The strike caused a blaze in her back bedroom as it ripped through the top story of the semi-detached house.

A picture appearing to show the bolt hitting the property was posted on Hyndburn fire station’s Facebook site.

MORE TOP STORIES:

The lady, known to neighbours as Pat, was too shaken to talk as friends, neighbours and relatives cleared up her home on Burns Avenue, Oswaldtwistle, yesterday. One neighbour said: “She’s devastated. It caused a lot of damage.”

The incident occurred as elsewhere in East Lancashire suffered flooding.

Residents in Colne, Earby and Barnoldswick reported flooding issues, while takeaways in Blackburn also had problems.

A flood warning was issued by the Environment Agency to police and residents for the River Aire in Barnoldswick on Saturday night, but the deluge of rain caused only small pockets of localised water inundation of premises.

The residents of a property in Skipton Road in Earby had to call the fire service at 9pm after flooding affected its electrics.

At 8.40pm on Saturday fire crews were called to a property on Curzon Street, Colne where water seeped into the electrical system. Flooding was also reported elsewhere in the county, notably in Morecambe and Heysham.

The bolt struck Pat’s semi-detached house in Oswaldtwistle around 9pm on Saturday night causing an “intense fire” in a upstairs bedroom.

Three fire appliances were despatched but Pat had been evacuated to the house of a friend by the time they arrived.

A fire service spokesman said yesterday: “It was a freak occurrence. I have never know a lightning bolt hit a house like this in 17 years working with the fire service.”

Pendle MP Andrew Stephenson said: “It was a dreadful night and not the sort of weather your expect in August.”

Borough council leader, Cllr Mohammed Iqbal said: “It was the worst flash storm I’ve seen in 40 years living in Nelson.”