THE mother of three small children whose home was struck by lightning overnight has recalled the terrifying moment her house went up in flames.

Speaking to the Bracknell News, Charlotte Coutts-Dicker, whose semi-detached property in Shearwater Drive was hit during the heavy thunderstorm, said she was thankful her family had escaped safely.

She was at home with her husband Jack, 5-year-old son and two young daughters, aged 18 months and just seven months when lightning struck.

She said: "We were awake because the thunderstorm was going on and it was mad. Everyone was talking on the Jennett's Park Facebook page saying how amazing the thunderstorm was and there was an app people were looking at which had when and where the lighting was hitting.

"I was on that talking to people and then we had a powercut and our daughter's monitor went off.

"I sent my husband back down to turn it back on and at the same time I heard this really loud crack and there was a flash and our fire alarm went off and on again.

"I thought we had been hit by lightning but then I just thought no, we couldn't possibly, because what are the odds of that happening?"

She added after calling downstairs to check her husband was fine, she started to smell smoke.

She went on: "I even put on the Facebook group that I could smell smoke because I didn't think it was coming from us, I thought it was from something happening outside.

"I text my next door neighbours and said are you awake and they said they could smell smoke too so I called 999, went downstairs and got my son up, because he was fast asleep.

"I said to him you need to get up, there's a fire, Fireman Sam is coming to save the day, but you need to get up. He was a bit upset but he came down and he was really brave and I just grabbed my one-year-old and my seven month old and I just got out of the door, with no shoes, nothing, in the pouring rain and within minutes it literally was just up in flames.

"I was in a bit of shock more than anything because it was just disbelief. Then it was, I need to get my kids out.

"It was very much keep calm, my children would have picked up from me that I was scared and I didn't want to worry them.

"I'm a paramedic so I know you need to keep calm."

The two homes were engulfed by a blaze after the lightning struck at around 3.20am, after Mrs Coutts-Dicker's home caught fire 'the whole way down the middle'.

Fire fighters were forced to smash through the adjoining middle wall between the two homes, as the fire had spread next door.

Both will need to be knocked down and rebuilt, with Mrs Coutts-Dicker's family and her neighbours - including their five-year-old and three-year-old children - needing to find temporary accommodation.

But despite her family's terrifying experience, Mrs Coutts-Dicker was quick to thank her neighbours for their 'amazing community spirit'.

She said: "Everyone has been phenonemal, I haven't been able to say thank you to everyone who has sent a message.

"I'm still in shock. I think if I stop the adrenaline I will cry and I don't want to cry. I just want to digest it all.

"The main thing is we all got out safely, including our dog and cat."

She went on: "It's just the memories. We've lost all our kids' clothes; my daughter had stuff for when she was older and all the hand-me-downs from my older one and we had such beautiful clothes. We had lovely memories and that is the biggest thing we are upset we have lost."

Fire crews were called to the scene at 3.32am and dampened the blaze by 8.16am. 

Six fire engines attended having to use ten breathing apparatus, three hose reels and three jets.