MORE than 60 firefighters and 12 fire engines are attending a fire at a house in High Street, Queenborough on the Isle of Sheppey.

The first call was received by Fire and Rescue Control Centre at Headquarters at 07.39 this morning.

The first crews arrived at the terraced house a few minutes later.

The fire is starting to spread through the single roof void to five other properties in the terrace.

Crews wearing breathing apparatus are fighting the fire using six hose-reel jets, two hose-reels and multiple ladders.

Crews are attending from fire stations in Queenborough, Strood, Rainham, Faversham, Canterbury, Sittingbourne, Medway, Sheppey, Eastchurch and Maidstone.

There have been no injuries and all persons are accounted for.

The cause of the fire has not yet been confirmed, however it is thought to have been started by a 14-year-old boy trying to clear up cat dirt in the kitchen.

Police said they thought the teenager had sprayed the floor with deodorant and then lit a match.

Dozens of residents stood in the street watching the firefighters at work and many were too upset to comment.

But George Russell who runs the Bosun yacht chandler shop in the High Street said: "It's a tragedy. My shop is a listed building dating from 1731 and a lot of houses in the High Street are listed. The High Street is really important to Queenborough."

His shop was not affected.