A family has thanked firefighters after an elderly man was rescued from his home as a blaze ripped through his kitchen.

Crews were called to Odo Road in Dover just after 11.30am yesterday after being alerted by his life-line system.

When they arrived, they found 82-year-old Pip Arbon-Davis laying in a doorway as thick black smoke billowed from the front door.

Dover watch manager Andy Batchelor said: "We spotted Mr Arbon-Davis laying in the doorway and realised that there was no time to lose, so two firefighters immediately went inside, brought him out and gave him oxygen therapy."

Andy added: "It was an extremely close call and the prompt alert from the care-line system when the smoke alarm activated undoubtedly saved his life."

Crews wearing breathing apparatus then went inside and put out the fire in the ground floor kitchen, using a hose reel jet. They remained at the house to help Mr Arbon-Davis and ventilate the property.

"It was an extremely close call and the prompt alert from the care-line system when the smoke alarm activated undoubtedly saved his life" - Watch manager Andy Bachelor

Mr Arbon-Davis’s family were also contacted by the life-line operators and his son-in-law, Barry, and both daughters, Mandy and Tina, rushed to their father’s home, to discover he was safely out of the house awaiting a check from paramedics.

It is thought that their father may have fallen while trying to deal with a pan of boiled eggs that had burnt dry, and that the fire broke out when was unable to turn off the hob.

His daughter, Tina Gollin, said: "We are extremely grateful for the help and care the firefighters gave to our dad, and the life-line system worked amazingly well. We had it installed a while ago after our dad, who is partially-sighted, had a couple of falls, and we are so thankful we did.

"We understand that the smoke was very thick and that the firefighters got him out very rapidly. He had taken in some smoke, so he was given a check up at the hospital, but we are happy to say he was given the all clear and luckily he did not need to stay in."

Parts of the kitchen were severely damaged by fire and the remainder of the house was heavily smoke-logged, which meant that Mr Arbon-Davis needed to be rehoused.

"The firefighters were very kind and even came back to see him to check he was okay, which was very much appreciated, and our entire family can’t thank them enough for their actions," Tina said.

"They have also put us in touch with their specialist team to see if they have any additional advice they can give us "

Tina added: "My message to anyone with an elderly relative or neighbour, especially with mobility issues or impaired sight or hearing loss, is that they may be at greater risk in the event of a fire and that specialist services are available to help keep your loved-ones safe, so make sure that you contact Kent Fire and Rescue Service to get their free advice."