FIREFIGHTERS say a pensioner who walked out of her blazing home may not have escaped if it had started at night.

The fire broke out in a garage adjoining her semi-detached house in Rough Common Road, Canterbury, on Sunday morning and quickly engulfed the roof.

The elderly owner was shocked but unharmed although sub-officer Steve Wright said it could have had a more tragic end.

He said: "There was no smoke alarm fitted in the property. If this fire had started when she was asleep, she would have been lucky to get out. We are constantly reminding people to fit smoke alarms and ensure they are working. They are life-savers."

A passer-by alerted the emergency services at 11.15am after seeing smoke coming from the garage door. The flames also spread through the roof to the adjoining house and four crews of firemen were needed to put it out. The cause is being investigated but is thought to have been an electrical fault.

The pensioner's home suffered severe damage. A couple living next door came home from church to find their home also alight and its roof and upper floors are also severely damaged.