Eggs in a kitchen exploded when they were left overheated.

The contents splattered the walls and floor after the water in the boiling pan evaporated.

And firefighters had to get into the property through a bathroom window because the occupant was out.

Crews were called to the property at Woodfield Close, Cheriton, at 4.30pm today.

Watch manager John Howard said; “The occupant had gone out forgetting that they had left eggs on the boil.

“First the boiling water dried up and then the eggs exploded.

“It was the smoke from them that set off the smoke alarm, which alerted the neighbours.

“They called us but we had to get into the property through the bathroom window because nobody was home.”

The firefighters simply isolated the power and the kitchen had no smoke or heat damage.

Mr Howard said: “This shows why people should have a smoke alarm. It was that, which alerted the neighbours and so we were able to get there in time.

“The contents of the eggs ended up on the walls and floor. They do go off with a bang when they are that overheated.

“We don’t know how many eggs there were - It would be quite a jigsaw to find out."

Two fire engines, from Folkestone and Ashford, were called to the incident.

The occupant was later reached and given safety advice by firefighters.

Mr Howard added: “It’s important that people realise that the vast majority of cooking fires are preventable because they happen when people leave food to cook unattended.

"It only takes a matter of minutes for a pan to boil over, so make sure you are by your pan and if you have to leave the room, switch the heat off.”

Phone Kent Fire and Rescue Service’s home safety team for free on 0800 923 7000 for free advice and to see if your are eligible for a free home safety visit.