Fire destroys Richard Branson’s island house

Added by Elivia DeVries on August 23, 2011

A fire, caused by an overnight lightning strike during a storm on Monday, destroyed Sir Richard Branson’s $70m Necker Island home located in the Caribbean; the house was occupied by about 20 people at the time of the fire – no injuries were reported.

Some of the guests who managed to escape unhurt from the fire were Kate Winslet the Oscar-winning actress, her boyfriend and her children, Sir Richard Branson’s mother Eve daughter Holly, Son Sam 25 and family. Branson wrote on his blog, thanking Winslet for helping rescue his 90 year-old mother.

Branson said, “Around 20 people were in the house and they all managed to get out and they are all fine” he adds that “We had a really bad tropical storm with winds up to 90 miles per hour. A big lightning storm came around 4 am and hit the house”. The boss of Virgin Atlantic said that his office was in the main house and lost numerous photographs in the blaze.

According also to a spokesman for the Virgin “In the early hours of this morning, a fire took place on Necker Island, causing substantial damage to the Great House”. Sir Richard Branson, members of his family and guests were on island at the time. They are all safe and currently accommodated elsewhere on the island,” the spokesman continued.

Necker is a private island and part of British Virgin Islands in Caribbean which is owned by Sir Richard Branson. Branson bought the Island in early 1980’s construction of the home began 1982.

Branson’s daughter, Holly, 29, is to marry Freddie Andrews, a shipbroker, on the Necker Island sometime this year.

The Necker island has been known to have great outstanding views, and is normally used by the Branson family, friends and is sometimes rented by others.