FIREFIGHTERS who rescued a Ramsgate man from his burning home last night say he is “very lucky” to be alive.

A Fire Brigade spokesman said: “The house had no smoke detector. It was only because the man lived close to Thanet and Ramsgate fire stations that he survived. We arrived in less than five minutes.”

Crews from both stations were called to the house in Margate Road shortly before midnight. The 49-year-old man was in an upstairs bedroom at the back of the house and was rescued by ladder. He was taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation.

The fire brigade spokesman added: "The blaze in the downstairs living room was very intense. All the doors in the house had been left open, causing a lot of smoke damage.

”A smoke detector would have provided valuable warning time for the owner to have been alerted and escape. It is also very important to close all doors in the house to avoid the spread of fire.”