AN INVESTIGATION is being held after fire swept through a three-storey home.

At the height of the blaze about 50 firefighters from across east Kent tackled the blaze which destroyed a large part of the semi-detached property in Lyndhurst Avenue, Cliftonville, near Margate.

The fire is thought to have started at about 6.15pm on Tuesday. A fire and rescue service spokesman said: "All people were accounted for when the first crews arrived at the scene. The fire was located in the first floor and loft."

By 7.50pm the scale of the blaze required more support and up to ten appliances were in and around the narrow residential avenue off the main Northdown Road shopping area.

An aerial platform, three jets and three hydrants were used to tackle the flames which destroyed the whole of the roof and severely damaged the majority of the structure.

Alan Barnett, whose home backs onto the property, said: "At around 7pm I saw smoke coming out of one of the bedroom windows. Fire crews were shining torches in there.

"About an hour later flames burst through the roof and burnt viciously for an hour or so. I have never seen anything like it.

"Lyndhurst Avenue and parts of Northdown Road were closed off."

Mick Rowney, deputy divisional manager for the fire service east division, said: “Several teams of firefighters in breathing apparatus were sent to tackle the fire from within the building, but due to the blaze’s ferocity had to be withdrawn.

"An external firefighting operation was put into place and crews managed to restrict the fire to the building’s roof void by using a water cooling barrier.

“Thankfully everyone was accounted for and no one was injured.”

Ambulance and police were also called to the scene, as was the Red Cross victim support unit which provides information, shelter and refreshments to victims of fire.

Neighbouring properties were evacuated at fire crews fought to stop the flames speading to neighbouring roofs.

This morning two appliances and firemen on a height vehicle were at the house checking for hots spots in the wreckage. A fire investigation team and a building control officer were also present.