A WOMAN escaped unhurt when a lightning strike set her luxury home on fire. Mum-of-three Lorraine Coppola, 62, heard a `huge crack like a gunshot' before all the lights went out.

She ran outside - and saw smoke coming from the roof of her three-storey townhouse in Oakwood Lane, Bowdon. Firefighters arrived and evacuated 30 of her neighbours from 11 homes as the blaze threatened to spread.

Thirty firefighters from Altrincham, Sale, Stretford and Wythenshawe were called in at the height of the blaze. The lightning strike happened just before 10pm as a violent storm swept over the Altrincham area.

Gunshot

Mrs Coppola said: "There was a very loud bang, a huge crack like a gunshot. The lights went out and I thought there'd been a power cut. I thought lightning must have hit somewhere.

"I went to check and could see smoke coming from the back bedroom. The roof is gone and the weight from the water and the smoke damage means it's dangerous to go up there. The flames were leaping when the fire service arrived.

"We were due to be going to Italy for a wedding, but the packed luggage is ruined. It couldn't have come at a worse time but at least we're all safe."

Lucky

Husband Luciano, 62, said: "At least it didn't happen later when we were all in bed."

Firefighters had to remove part of the Coppolas' roof to get to the blaze.

Nigel Perkins, incident commander for the fire brigade, said: "I've been with the service for 23 years and this is the first lightning strike I've been on but the electrical storm last night was huge. They've had a lucky escape."