A Watford father has recounted the “terrible” moment he watched a blaze erupt at his family home after a lightning strike.

Four fire engines rushed to the blaze at a six-bed property in Cassiobury Drive early last Thursday, May 2, during a Met Office yellow weather warning.

Ali Shah, 59, was at home with his wife, 66, and daughter, 33, and heard the lightning strike, but said “you never think it has hit your house”.

The technology consultant described his shock when he was then awoken at around 5am by a woman at the door telling him to get out as there was smoke “billowing out” of the roof.

Watford Observer: The fire ripped through the home's roof.The fire ripped through the home's roof. (Image: Submitted)

He made his way to the loft room where he could not see flames but smelt smoke.

“I came back downstairs, went out the front door, took a few steps back and looked up and it was a frightening scene,” he explained. “There was just really thick black smoke billowing out.”

He woke his daughter and they rushed out into the pouring rain where they saw a passing policeman, before the fire crews arrived minutes later.

Watford Observer: The loft room housed Ali's model railway that he spent months and months building during the pandemic.The loft room housed Ali's model railway that he spent months and months building during the pandemic. (Image: Ali Shah)

Ali and his family watched the firefighters controlling the blaze inside and outside of their home from their neighbour’s window.

He said: “When it’s your home, it’s a terrible thing, but we were unbelievably lucky.

“I’m extremely grateful to that woman, really grateful to the emergency services who did an amazing job, but mostly thankful to God that all of us were unscathed.”

Watford Observer: Ali has said he is grateful to the fire service who did an amazing job.Ali has said he is grateful to the fire service who did an amazing job. (Image: Submitted)

The lightning devastated the loft, which was used as a cinema and also housed a model railway that took months to construct during the pandemic.

Watford Observer: Ali spent months and months building the model railway which was completely destroyed by the blaze.Ali spent months and months building the model railway which was completely destroyed by the blaze. (Image: Ali Shah)

But the master bedroom is located directly underneath, and the 59-year old was told by firefighters that the ceiling could have collapsed onto them if they had stayed there for another 10 minutes.

He feels “extremely fortunate and blessed” to have been woken by the stranger, who he has never seen again, and has appealed for her to come forward so he can thank her.

The family has now been able to move back into the property, but the damage left will likely take months and over £60,000 to fix.