A woman had a lucky escape after a fire at a house in Harrow Road, Hempstead.

The fire is believed to have started in a bin while the elderly female resident was asleep on the sofa.

Fortunately, smoke alarms, which KFRS installed for her recently, sounded to alert her to the fire.

This allowed her to get out of the property before it spread. Her dog was also out of the property on arrival.

Four fire engines were at the scene and crews were wearing breathing apparatus and using hose reel jets and water from a hydrant to extinguish the fire.

The police and a British Red Cross support unit also attended.

Leanne McMahon, Group Manager for Community Safety said: "We cannot stress enough how important it is to have working smoke alarms in your property.

"Such a simple devise can save your life. It really is worth testing your smoke alarms weekly, it takes a few seconds."

"KFRS offers a free Safe and Well service where officers visit vulnerable people in their homes to provide safety advice, including the fitting of free smoke alarms where necessary.

"We highlight any risks from fire in the home, give fire prevention tips, advice on night-time routines and help to plan escape routes in the event of a fire."

For more information about the Safe and Well service, visit www.kent.fire-uk.org/homesafety