An Istead Rise resident fled her home this morning after a fire broke out from an electrical fault.

It happened at about 9.30am this morning.

When the smoke alarms sounded in the Little Croft dorma bungalow, the woman, who was upstairs at the time, quickly got out of her home to safety.

Neighbours who had heard the alarms and seen black smoke billowing out of her kitchen phoned the fire service.

Thames-side crew manager Rob Parkin said: “We got to the property within five minutes of receiving the call and were met with thick, acrid smoke that filled the ground floor of the bungalow from a fast developing fire.”

Two fire engines were sent to the property and firefighters wearing breathing apparatus tackled the blaze with a hose.

A fan was used to clear the property of smoke, while a thermal imaging camera was used to check for fire spread and hot spots behind kitchen cupboards and kitchen appliances.

Rob added: “This woman had a very lucky escape, without the working smoke alarms it could have been a very different story.

"Everyone should make sure they have working smoke alarms in their homes and that they test them regularly. They are the most valuable piece of life-saving equipment in any home."

The fire is believed to have been caused by an electrical fault in the kitchen and caused extensive damage to the kitchen and smoke damage to the ground floor of the property.

Crews left the property at around 11.00am.