A family have been left with nothing apart from the "clothes they were standing in" after a fire tore through their home.

The property in Landon Road, Herne Bay, was gutted by a blaze that broke out in an upstairs bedroom on Wednesday afternoon.

At the height of the incident six fire engines were called to the scene, while a woman in her 30s was treated for smoke inhalation before being taken to hospital as a precaution.

The building was safely evacuated, but loved ones say the incident has caused extensive damage to the site, which has meant many belongings could not be salvaged.

Relation Freddie Birchard said: "Our sister's house suffered a major fire on Wednesday. We are all completely and utterly devastated for them, but thankful that Danielle, Scott and the children are all safe.

"The house, however, is a completely different story.

"Danielle is pregnant and due in eight weeks.

"She was very organised and the nursery was all finished, including her pram and crib, which have all been completely destroyed by the fire."

The first floor and roof have been completely destroyed, with the ground floor left with extensive water and smoke damage.

Fire crews, who were called to the area just before 2.30pm, battled the flames until about 7pm the same day.

A resident living in nearby King Edward Avenue, 20, described how the black fumes blanketed the much of the street.

“It was immense smoke and I’ve never seen anything like it before,” she said.

“I’ve seen a house fire before but nothing like that.”

Officials from the fire brigade say the cause of the blaze has not yet been identified, but they believe it to have been an accident.

While volunteer teams provided those living in the now-burned-out property support, Mr Birchard says "they are faced with the task of rebuilding their home".

He has launched a fundraiser for his sister and her family, in the hope of generating £5,000 to help them recover from the disaster.

"As you can imagine, they literally have nothing, just the clothes they were standing in when the fire happened," Mr Birchard explained.

Fire crews at the scene in Landon Road, Herne Bay, this week

"Nothing can be salvaged due to fire and water damage, and they are now faced with the task of rebuilding their home.

"Any donations great or small will be hugely appreciated by us all."

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