Fire tore through the roof of a house and spread down into a bedroom.

The occupants, a couple named locally as Paul and Linda Johnson, their two dogs and horse, fled unhurt.

The blaze broke out at a converted barn, called Johnson's Acres, at the Folkestone end of Alkham Valley Road, at 8.45pm yesterday.

The flames could be seen in neighbouring Hawkinge.

Folkestone Fire Station watch manager Giles Parker said: “This was a serious incident. When we arrived the fire had gone right through the roof.

“The husband had noticed an strange smell and heard crackling. When he went outside to investigate he could see the roof alight.”

The blaze had started in the loftspace, risen through the roof tiles and also gone down into a first floor bedroom.

Two fire engines from Folkestone were called out along with a water unit from Ashford. Crews wore breathing apparatus to tackle the flames.

Mr Parker said: “We managed to stop the fire spreading into the house further than the bedroom and the damage to the roof was limited to about 5% of it. One thing that helped was that this was a small, smouldering fire.”

Crews now believe the cause was a faulty light fitting.

They were at the scene for more than three hours, until midnight.

The property is half house and have storage site for hay.