A woman aged 45 was given oxygen after breathing in smoke when her airing cupboard caught fire.

Two fire crews from Sheerness and Eastchurch went to her ground-floor flat in Halfway Road, Halfway, near Power Station Road on Monday night after she and her partner reported seeing smoke.

A crew wearing breathing apparatus put the fire out with a water jet.

Crew manager Paul Schembri said: “The couple did everything right. They closed the door, raised the alarm and then got everyone else outside. When we arrived they were sheltering in a car.”

It is understood a faulty immersion heater caused the blaze.

Mr Schembri added: “It could have been a lot worse if it had happened in the early hours and had not been noticed. Luckily they had a working smoke alarm.”

He said residents should have any suspicious electrical items checked by an electrician. He said: “It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

And if you have a problem with your smoke alarm, contact us and we will give you a free fire safety check.”