Lightning strike sparks house fire in Gulf Harbour, north of Auckland

Monday, 11 November 2019

Three houses were damaged from the strike, but only one caught fire.

A lightning strike has sparked a house fire as thunderstorms hit parts of north Auckland.

Fire and Emergency NZ shift manager Carren Larking said three appliances were sent to Midshipman Court, Gulf Harbour, at 1.45pm on Monday.

Larking said it was a small fire in the roof of the property, which was 12 by 14 metres in size.

Three fire crews were called to Gulf Harbour after three homes were hit by lightning.

Senior fire station officer Jim Mclean said this was the first time he had attended a house fire cause by a lightning strike in his 47 years with the service.

He said crews received multiple calls about the blaze but, when they arrived, it was more contained than originally thought.

Senior Station Officer Jim McLean said fires caused by lightning strikes were 'very rare'.

Three homes were stuck by lightning in total, he said, which led to one catching fire and two others suffering damage to their roofs.

He said the storm that brought the lightning was intense and the fire service was getting reports of flooding from across Auckland.

A fire in the roof of the house in Midshipman Court, Gulf Harbour, was sparked by a lightning strike.

MetService meteorologist Tui McInnes said thunderstorms were hitting the Whangaparaoa area, with a 'line of activity' visible from Waiheke Island to the peninsula, bringing rain, thunder and lightning.

A Stuff reporter at the scene of the house fire said full speed window wipers could not keep up with the lashing rain north of Auckland. Lightning strikes continued to flash across the skies in the area.

Serious flooding was also reported on main roads in Manly, with roadside crews working to unblock drains, as the storm continued.