FIREMEN have praised a landlord for quickly evacuating his flats when a blaze broke out at his terraced property on Friday.

The landlord was paint stripping an outside window of his property in Deal when the blow torch set light to a wooden facia board, spreading into the room.

Deal Fire Station crew manager Paul Evans said: "He did get everything right when the fire started. He got everyone out of the building and raised the alarm.

"When we arrived they were all busy throwing buckets of water at the house."

Both Deal's fire appliances were called to the three-storey property in Gilford Road just after 10am and crews wore breathing apparatus to work inside the flat.

Mr Evans added: "Damage was limited to the first and second floor."