SEVERAL families are lucky to be alive after fire raged through a terrace house in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Police are treating the incident in King Edward Road, Chatham, as suspicious after the seat of the fire was traced to a motorbike, leaning against the house, which may have been set alight deliberately.

After the first fire had been extinguished, and fire crews were being treated to a cup of tea by a neighbour, the woman looked out of her window and spotted a second fire taking hold.

Crews found a tarpaulin connecting a garden shed to the house was ablaze. That fire is also being treated as suspicious.

Had anybody been in the property, they would have been unable to get out by either the back or front doors.

The first fire, which began at about 1.50am, destroyed most of the inside of the property.

Two fire crews managed to put out the flames in less than an hour, stopping them spreading to other homes.

Hema Patel, who lives next door, said: "Thankfully I am not a deep sleeper so woke up at the first smell of smoke.

"My husband, two children and sister were fast asleep. I looked out and saw flames curling up the front of the house next door."

If you know anything about the fire, please contact Rebecca Foot on 01634 227828.

FULL STORY IN MONDAY'S MEDWAY MESSENGER.