A builder’s habit of getting up early saved his fiancee and children from a fire.

Scott Baker woke at 5am as usual last Thursday and went into the bathroom of his home in Bazes Shaw, New Ash Green, but found the electric power had tripped.

He turned it back on, but when a fresh bulb blew as well he began scrambling in the dark with a torch and ended up removing the entire fixing from the ceiling.

It was only then, when a plume of smoke escaped from the hole, he realised his loft was on fire.

The 38-year-old woke up his fiancée, and children aged 11 months and six.

“I called the fire brigade as I was getting them all out of the house. I took my car out of the garage so they had somewhere to sit, because it was freezing cold.

“Afterwards, the firefighters said it would have only taken about 30 minutes and the whole loft would have gone up.”

If Scott hadn’t been up so early, the family could have woken up to their ceiling collapsing in on them. As it was, it burned a huge hole through into the bathroom, and firefighters spent more than an hour dousing the flames.

Mr Baker added: “Everyone’s alive, that’s all that matters.

“I didn’t smell the smoke at first. When I was taking the light out I noticed the ceiling was hot, and there was browning on it as well. Then I saw a light coming from inside the attic and smoke came through the hole.”

His mother-in-law to-be, Margaret Sotherden, said: “Scott did a brilliant job. He saved my daughter and my two grandchildren. If it wasn’t for him, we could have lost them. I’m so grateful.”

Warning to others over 'hazardous' heating system

Mr Baker is now sending out a warning to hundreds of others living in the same close.

Fire crews initially believed it started in the extractor fan ducting that ran through the loft to the bathroom.

However, later that day – and with workmen on site to survey the damage – it became clear to Mr Baker the fire had started in the house’s heating system.

“We’ve got electrical mats in the loft for our heating but they’ve been covered over with insulation and it looks as though they’ve overheated. Some were completely destroyed.

“All the houses in this close have the same system so I just want everyone to be aware of that, and check their own.

“I’m not going to use that heating again, we’re going to look at installing something different.” Their landlord has provided storage heaters to help see them through until everything is fixed.

Two fire engines attended. Crew manager Chay Luchford said: “We had to remove the loft insulation to get to the fire.

“Fortunately, the resident woke when he did, because there were no working smoke alarms in the house.”

For free fire safety advice call 0800 923 7000.