NEW details from the fire service show engines were on scene minutes after lighting struck two homes in Andover last weekend.

The first call reporting the property fire on Mercia Avenue, Charlton, was received by the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service control room at 4.38am on the morning of July 24, a spokesman for the authority said, with crews arriving at 4.51am.

Firefighters from Whitchurch Fire Station were first on the scene, with further resources from Winchester, Overton, Basingstoke and Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service joining them to swiftly control the blaze.

​The Whitchurch crew were on standby in Andover, after the Andover firefighters had already been mobilised to a double lightning strike fire at a waste disposal centre near Romsey.

This meant there was “no delay” between the fire in Charlton first being reported into the control room and the mobilisation of the nearest available appliance.

The Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: “Whitchurch were mobilised to Mercia Avenue whilst they were mobile to standby at Andover.

“Our Fire Control staff continually monitor the levels of operational cover across the County and move assets accordingly; as was the case with the Whitchurch appliance, who were immediately diverted to the Mercia Avenue incident.”

At the scene of the fire later that morning, HIWFRS group manager Andy Weeks told the Advertiser: “The priority was making sure no one was inside and thankfully everyone was out. We were then firefighting to control the fire spread and to reduce damage and also in terms of salvaging as many personal items as we can from inside the properties.”

The team returned later in the day to ensure there were no further “hotspots”.