A pensioner had to be treated in hospital for smoke inhalation following a fire in his residential caravan in Reculver on Friday afternoon.

He had been trying to put out a chip pan fire in his kitchen when he was forced out by the thick smoke.

Now firefighters are warning homeowners not to try and fight fires themselves but leave it to the professionals.

The fire started at the property in Keat Farm Close shortly after 5.30pm and a crew from Herne Bay fire station was on the scene within a few minutes.

They found the pensioner outside suffering from the effects of the smoke. The blaze was contained to the kitchen by the whole home was severely smoke logged.

Firefighter David Franks said: "We cannot stress how important it is for people to call us and get out of the property shutting the doors behind them when fire breaks out.

"It only takes three breaths of smoke to overwhelm someone and then they can be in a lot of trouble.

"Understandably, this gentleman was very anxious about his home but he was lucky not to be overcome and it could have been a very different outcome.

"Even when we arrived to deal with it, he wanted to go back in. But he was suffering from smoke inhalation and paramedics took him to hospital."