A SMOKE alarm saved the lives of a couple who awoke to find fire raging through their wooden chalet bungalow.

Viviane Burke, 56, and her partner Brian Henry, 61, were sleeping soundly in the upstairs bedroom of their £120,000 property at Cliff Drive, Warden Bay, Sheppey when the blaze broke out.

Mrs Burke said: “I awoke due to the noise of the upstairs smoke alarm and got Brian up. You could see the fire raging under the eaves and I am sure we would have died if the upstairs smoke alarm had not gone off.

“We managed to dash downstairs to dial 999, but the smoke was so thick that I did not have time to get back to the bedroom to get my handbag. We have lost everything, but I can’t praise enough the firefighters who attended.”

It is believed an electrical fault in the roof started the fire.

The couple moved in a year ago from their former home in Cedar Road, Strood. They moved to the bungalow to retire and to enjoy the magnificent views of Warden Bay below.

They hope to rebuild the bungalow which was fully insured and live in a caravan on site until it is completed.

Eastchurch, Sheppey and Queenborough retained fire crews fought the blaze.

Andy Hill, watch manager at Eastchurch, said: “The occupants were extremely lucky to have been awoken by the domestic smoke detector and we would advise everybody to make sure they have these fitted and regularly checked.”