An elderly man was helped to safety by a neighbour after a faulty old electric heater sparked a fire that filled neighbouring homes with smoke.

Firefighters were called to the blaze in a two-storey, terraced house in Valley Road, Gillingham last night around 9.30pm.

When crews arrived minutes later, a neighbour had already helped the man, who is thought to be in his late 70s with mobility issues, to safety.

Chatham crew manager Kevin Chapman said: “This was a large, well developed fire in a first-floor rear bedroom. The pressure from the smoke had pushed into neighbouring properties, causing smoke-logging several houses down."

Three fire engines were sent to the scene and firefighters wearing breathing apparatus used a hose reel to extinguish the fire.

They accessed the loft space from ladders and created holes in the bedroom ceiling and used a fan to force the thick smoke out of the properties.

A thermal image camera was used to check the loft spaces of several properties for hot spots and ensure the fire had not spread. After repairing the holes, crews fitted working smoke alarms to three other homes.

One woman was given oxygen, and the British Red Cross emergency response unit and fire service's volunteer response team helped support residents.

The fire is believed to have been caused by a fault in an old electric heater and crews left the scene at around 12.15am.

Mr Chapman added: “There are lots of things that can cause accidental fires within the home but if you smell burning, always phone 999. Our job is about keeping you safe and you won’t be wasting our time. We will scan your home using our special cameras to quickly see if there are any hotpots.

“I would also suggest regular inspections of electrical items for damage and deterioration. If it isn’t in good condition, don’t use it. For peace of mind for you and your home, get a registered electrician to check.”

KFRS want to make sure all homes in Kent and Medway have working smoke alarms and offer free safety advice and services.

Contact a home safety advisor for free on 0800 923 7000 or email home@kent.fire-uk.org