'Just insane': Lightning narrowly misses Sydney family's home

A Sydney family is recovering from the the fright of their lives after a flash of lightning narrowly missed their home.

The Bandiera family was in a state of shock after the bolt struck their backyard during Sunday night's storm in Kenthurst, north of Parramatta.

Mum Kate Bandiera said the noise was "just insane".

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"It was like a gunshot going off and it kind of radiated through the valley - and we all just ran," she said.

A gumtree in their backyard splintered into pieces.

"Bits of timber were flying everywhere from the explosion," dad Adam Bandiera said.

The flames sparked by the lightning fizzled out and their home was safe.

However others have not been as lucky.

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The Rural Fire Service (RFS) has fought 174 bush, scrub and grass fires in the state this month sparked by lightning.

This includes a major blaze in Bundarra in the state's north-west, which recently burned through thousands of hectares.

It is such a risk that the RFS conducts lightning detection flights after big storms to look for new fires in remotes areas.