Lightning sparks fires in Eastbourne and Bexhill as firefighters respond
Crews tackle blazes as storms hit East Sussex
East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service has been responding to fires in Eastbourne and Bexhill after lightning strikes ignited homes early this morning.
At 00.03, fire crews were alerted to a roof fire at a house on Selmeston Road in Eastbourne, followed shortly by another call at 00.19 for a house ablaze on Long Avenue in Bexhill due to a lightning strike.
Joint Fire Control received multiple emergency calls during the incidents and dispatched four fire engines to each location to manage the situation.
As of 01.30am, significant progress was made at the Eastbourne site, with crews checking for hot spots to ensure the blaze is extinguished. A re-inspection is scheduled for 6am.
In Bexhill, efforts were challenged by ongoing lightning and overhead power cables, but crews have begun scaling back the operation to three fire engines by 02.20am.
There have been no reports of injuries in either incident, and residents are advised to avoid the affected areas.