A FIRE which started in a caravan parked on a driveway spread to the front of the house.

Firefighters were called to the burning van in the village of Upchurch, near Gillingham, in the early hours of Saturday after the homeowner discovered the fire had broken out inside it.

Despite firefighters arriving within eight minutes, the flames had spread to the home, in Church Farm Road, and burnt the front of the building.

It is thought the fire may have been started deliberately.

A spokesman for Kent Fire and Rescue Service said: “The van is destroyed and part of the front of the man’s home suffered fire damage, with some of the inside of his home suffering smoke damage.

“He had managed to get out of his home at an early stage and was waiting outside for us when we arrived. It took us about half an hour to bring the flames under control.”