Brighton and Hove fire crews kept busy by thunderstorm

Fire crews in Brighton and Hove were called out to three weather-related incidents in half an hour during the thunderstorm and heavy rain yesterday evening (Sunday 8 September).

East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service said that the first call came just after 6pm.

A lightning strike during the electrical storm set off the specialist “smoke cloak” burglar alarm at the One Stop shop in Court Farm Road, Hove.

It filled the property with smoke which is meant to prevent or delay intruders from trying to gain access to areas within the building by reducing visibility. It is also meant to give police a better chance of catching burglars red-handed.

Two fire crews from Preston Circus used industrial fans to clear the building of smoke and it reopened an hour later.

A second lightning strike at 6.10pm blew electrical equipment at a property in Victoria Road, Portslade, and affected several other properties in the same street.

The smoke-filled One Stop shop in Court Farm Road, Hove, pictured by Brett Mendoza

Two crews from Hove turned out and isolated the electricity supply and carried out six home safety visits. The crews were at the scene for an hour and twenty minutes.

The third call came in at 6.30pm after heavy rain and hailstones in Springfield Road in Brighton.

Brighton firefighters were called to flats in Wellend Villas in Springfield Road to carry out salvage work and mop up excess water in the hall of one of the blocks.

Crew Manager Darran Sampson said: “Because we had the heavy rain with a burst of hail stones together this caused flooding as the hail stones blocked the drain and the rain then flooded the area and poured into the hallway through the front door.

“While the wet weather continues we would urge people to regularly check their drains to ensure that they are not blocked with leaves or debris, which will help prevent any flooding.”