Fire crews were called to two seperate fires at homes in Canterbury last night within an hour of eachother.

An overheating tumble dryer saw two fire engines race to Pearmain Walk on Canterbury's Spring Lane Estate just after 7.30pm.

Crews wearing breathing apparatus used a hosereel to put the fire out before airing the house with a ventilation fan and giving a man in his 20s who had been inside oxygen.

The blaze was caused by clothing trapped in the exhaust vent of a tumble dryer, which overheated and caught fire.

The kitchen suffered 20% smoke damage.

Meantime, a dog had to be rescued from a flat on the Brymore Estate after its owners left a hob on while they were out.

Crews from Wingham and Canterbury were alerted at 8.14pm after a passer-by saw smoke billowing out of a ground floor flat.

They evacuated people from the other flats and forced their way in before rescuing the dog.

No one was hurt and the crews left at 9pm.

Canterbury watch manager Stephen Wright said: "Once inside the property, we found the homeowner had left a hand held steam cleaner on an electric hob, which had accidentally been left switched on.

"Fortunately, they had left their kitchen door closed, which helped limit the fire and smoke damage to the kitchen.

"I would encourage people to ensure the top of their cookers are kept free from clutter and that electrical appliances are always turned off when you are out of the property or overnight.

"Get into the habit of closing doors, especially when you go to bed at night as this will help slow the spread if you are unlucky enough to have a fire in your home.

"A fire can quickly take hold and just three breaths of toxic fire smoke can be fatal, which is why it's vital you have working smoke alarms on every floor of your home. They provide the early warning needed for you to get out safely in the event of a fire in your home."