by Rachel Hovenden

A pensioner is lucky to be alive after a blaze took hold and his fire alarm did not wake him because it was in the wrong place.

Two crews from Dartford station tackled the fire for two hours after the man, in his early 70s, called them from his neighbour's house at about 2.30am this morning (November 15).

The man was fast asleep in an upstairs bedroom of the semi-detached house in Park Road, Dartford, when the blaze broke out in the kitchen.

He woke to find himself coughing. The fire alarm was in his conservatory so did not wake him.

When tackling the blaze, crews needed to use a smoke dispersal fan and breathing apparatus.

The kitchen was completely gutted and the fire even spread to the ceiling.

Firefighter David Boakes said: "The positioning of the smoke alarm meant that it didn't actually wake him up. We will be going back to rectify it.

"He was a very tough person and he refused to go to hospital. He was fine although now he can't live in his house for a while.

"There was extensive smoke damage certainly to the ground floor. The smoke went everywhere."

Crews believe the fire was caused by an electrical fault although they are continuing their investigations.

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