A mother and three children fled their house after a fire from a candle crept up a bedroom wall.

It broke out at Dudley Road, Folkestone, at around midnight last night.

Fire crews say that the unattended candle had fallen, the flame reached a stereo speaker and the blaze eventually travelled up the rear wall and to the ceiling.

Folkestone Fire Station watch manager Mick Dennis said: “There was a lot of smoke but fortunately it ended up as a small fire.

“But it shows that candles should never be left unattended even for a moment.”

The woman and children, aged six, seven and 15, were alerted and got out of the house unhurt when a smoke detector sounded. The fire was in one of the youngsters’ rooms.
Two fire engines were called and crews were at the scene for an hour.