Lightning sets warehouse alight

The fire was caused by lightning that followed the heatwave

Fire has swept through a warehouse containing about one million plastic bases for smoke detector units after it was struck by lightning.

The fire at the warehouse at the Bluebell Business Park, at Sheffield Park, near Uckfield, East Sussex, was brought under control by firefighters.

The bolt of lightning came during heavy storms on Friday night following the end of the heatwave.

The fire was so fierce that it set light to cars and vans parked inside.

We tried to get the hosepipe, but it wouldn't reach, so we grabbed some fire extinguishers and ran down there, but it was far too high Gerry Macey, Oak Transport

Several staff were in the building at the time of the fire, but no-one suffered any injuries.

It took firefighters in six engines two hours to bring the flames under control, with water being pumped from the River Ouse nearby.

One of the owners of the distribution company operating out of the warehouse, Oak Transport, described the fire as devastating, and said it had destroyed their livelihoods.

Gerry Macey said he had been outside chatting to a colleague at the time of the storm when he noticed the start of a small fire.

Gerry Macey fears his business may never recover from the fire

"We tried to get the hosepipe, but it wouldn't reach, so we grabbed some fire extinguishers and ran down there, but it was far too high."

One driver was standing on the roof of a lorry doing some repairs inside the warehouse when the fire started and had to call colleagues to get a ladder to help him down.

Mr Macey told how in the floods of 2001 he lost another storage business in Uckfield, which saw the company move to the larger warehouse destroyed in Friday's fire.

"We had gained some good storage contracts with local businesses, and it was definitely on the up.

"I don't know if there's any way back from this," he said.