A block of flats was evacuated after fire broke out in the kitchen of a ground floor apartment.
Firefighters were called out to the new building, in Foord Street, Rochester, after a resident had left a pan on an electric hob and had gone out.
No one was hurt during the incident, but smoke built up inside the building, called Foord Apartments, and firefighters had to use their positive pressure ventilation fan to clear itt.
A crew from Strood were called out at 2.20pm on Wednesday after a neighbour heard the smoke alarm going off.
A spokesman for Kent Fire and Rescue Service, said: “The four storey block of flats was evacuated as a precaution.
“The fire damage was limited to the electric hob in the flat, but I would remind residents not to leave cooking unattended and not to leave it altogether and go out.
“Although the smoke alarm activated to alert someone to the fire, it had been covered up, so there had been a delay in the alarm detecting the smoke.
“The advice is do not cover smoke alarms at all.”