Firefighters spent nearly two hours tackling a blaze in the field in front of Coldblow Woods, last night.

Two pumps from Deal were called at 5.15pm and the crew was later backed up with a pump from Ramsgate.

Crew manager Paul Evans said: "We suspect it was a deliberate ignition or accidental - somebody could have dropped a cigarette."

"The cut straw had caught alight and because there was a bit of a breeze it spread. It was going towards the houses and the railway line."

Crew manager Evans explained that they had difficulty reaching the scene as they tried to access the field via Mayers Road, Walmer.

He said: "We struggled to get to it. It's so narrow up there.

"We had to run up and down a few times to assess what we were going to do.

"We had to use something which could extend. We used a main hose reel."

Many residents came out of their homes to spectate.

The blaze has prompted safety advice to be issued by crew manager Evans.

He said: "Please be careful with discarding cigarettes."