Neighbours rallied round to help Carroll Pudwell fight the blaze at his end-terrace house, in Stookslade, at 6pm on Friday.

He and his wife, Miranda (known as Mandy), escaped the building, although Mr Pudwell was later taken to Stoke Mandeville hospital to be treated for minor burns. The couple's two pet cats were rescued by firefighters.

Eyewitnesses described a scene of panic as residents arriving home abandoned their cars in the smoke-filled street and ran down the road to check their homes were safe.

Next door neighbour Lynn Cox has known the couple for nearly 30 years and was very concerned for their safety when news of the fire broke.

"It was a violent storm with heavy rain," she said. "There was a terrific bang and my husband and I were chatting in the kitchen. He thought someone had been hit but unbeknown to us it was next door. We were looking out for someone when there was a knock at our door.

"I was terrified, we were all very frightened, worried about next door and in shock. Worried it was going to come through our roof but my main concern was for my neighbours. We felt so helpless. The fire brigade did a good job though.

"After I returned to the house when it was safe I could not stop crying. When people would start talking about it I would cry again.

"They Pudwell's work really hard and have a beautiful house and within minutes their life was changed.

"I remember looking at the sky and thinking how something so dramatic could happen and then suddenly stop. It was the scariest night of my life."

The roof, loft and first floor of the Pudwell's home were completely destroyed and there was smoke damage to Mrs Cox's loft. Insurance underwriters will be assessing the total damage this week.

Onlookers speculated that the roof caught fire when the cowl, a metal part on the roof which is used to stop birds from falling down the chimney was struck by the lightning, but firefighters cannot confirm what exactly started the blaze.

A second neighbour, June Ward, helped to warn others in street about the fire and helped to damp down the flames.

"I just did what anyone would do," she said. "I don't want to be a heroine."

She explained the drama started when she heard a crack from her son's room.
"I said I hope it isn't our house. I went out and saw their roof smoking and then another neighbour came out and I knocked on their door and told them to get out of their house."

She used Lynn's hose pipe to direct water to the roof from outside the house.