A MOTHER carried her two-year-old son from their blazing house after fire broke out.

Kelly Wells was busy wrapping Christmas presents when she heard son Matthew calling from upstairs and smelt the smoke.

The child was hiding from the flames in a bedroom cupboard as the fire raged along the landing of the house in Staplehurst Road, Twydall.

His mum darted through a gap between the flames and the bedroom door, picked up frightened Matthew and they both got out unhurt.

Miss Wells, 31, said: "It was terrifying but I just didn't have time to think. I just had to get him out.

"We have lost our home now but at least we are both safe."

The fire broke out at about 4pm on Saturday. It spread in minutes, searing into bedrooms and ripping through the roof as Miss Wells and Matthew watched helplessly from the street.

Three fire engines, two from Medway and one from Rainham, were called and crews with breathing apparatus fought the blaze.

They had to strip away roof tiles to get at the flames eating through the rafters.

The crews rescued the presents left around the Christmas tree downstairs. But the first floor was destroyed and the house is now uninhabitable.

Medway station sub-officer Tom Hake said: "This woman was heroic. What she did was exemplary. She saved the life of her child.

"You can replace property but you can never replace your children."

Miss Wells discovered that Matthew had accidentally started with fire with a lighter.

Mr Hake said: "This was obviously an accident and can happen to any family

"But we repeat our warnings to make sure young children are always kept away from matches and lighters."

Although no Christmas decorations were thought to have fuelled this fire, firefighters warned that in general the festive season is particularly dangerous.

Mr Hake said: "A lot of people in general use candles and again the naked flames can be a fascination to very young children seeing them for the first time.

"Also there is a lot more paper around, such as gift wrappings and crackers."

Mr Hake also pointed out that neither the house on fire, nor the adjoining one, had smoke detectors.

Miss Wells and Matthew are now staying at her mother's home in nearby Lynsted Road until she is rehoused.