by Hayley Robinson

A woman from Strood had a narrow escape from a bedroom fire after a tea light set light to curtains and bedding.

Firefighters from Strood and Thames-side were called to a two storey building in Woodstock Road, at 12.50pm today after the fire broke out in a ground floor flat.

Liam Hudson, Strood fire station manager, said: "There was no working smoke alarm in the flat but fortunately the lady was awake and managed to escape and call us. However, if she’d fallen asleep then we could easily have been dealing with a fatality so she’s had a very lucky escape but others might not be as fortunate."

The bedding and curtains were damaged by fire and the whole flat was badly damaged by smoke.

Firefighters fitted a smoke alarm before leaving the home and are urging residents to follow some simple advice when using tea lights;

• Always place the tea light in a suitable holder on a heat resistant surface
• Never place on a tv, stereo, bath or other plastic surface
• Don’t let anything fall into the hot wax
• Keep tea lights well away from anything that could easily catch fire e.g. never place under a shelf
• Keep tea lights away from draughts
• Keep tea lights away from children and pets
• Never leave a tea light unattended

To book a free home safety visit, during which firefighters will visit your home, for free to advise you on how you can keep you, your family and your home safe from fire, call the Community Safety Team for free on 0800 923 7000.