A family escaped unharmed after a kitchen fire was caused in a freak accident.

A pile of documents was temporarily placed on a stove, then one of the occupants accidentally leaned on the ignition button, setting off a flame.

The documents smouldered, setting off the smoke alarm and alerting the family in Shaftesbury Avenue, Folkestone.

Fire crews were called out at 2am today.

Folkestone Fire Station crew manager Mick Dennis said: “The papers had been moved from a worktop onto a hob, then someone leant against the button.

“The family had gone to bed but they were woken up by the smoke alarm, which stresses the importance of these alarm.

“Members of the family then poured water on the pile and placed it in the sink. Only the minimum damage was caused in the kitchen and the fire was out by the time we got there.”

The occupants, a woman and her four children aged four to 20 and a dog, were all unharmed.

Two fire engines from Folkestone were called out and but only one was found to be needed and the remaining crew ventilated the kitchen.