A mother and two children from Deal were put into emergency accommodation yesterday after a candle fire caused major damage to their home.

Firefighters were called to a blaze in Birdwood Avenue at 1pm.

Crew manager Paul Evans said: “A candle on the windowsill had set alight to the curtains and subsequently set the sofa alight.”

Firefighters managed to contain the fire to the living room. They used a hose reel, a thermal image camera to check for hot spots within hidden cavities and a PPV, which is a fan to ventilate the property of smoke.

Crew manager Evans said: “There is 100% smoke damage to the living room and dining room and minor smoke damage to the rest of the property.

“The family, a mother and two children, aged eight and two, were put into emergency accommodation by the housing association.”

The two appliances left at around 2.30pm.

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

He said: “We would like to remind people not to leave candles unattended or near flammable materials.”