A family were helped out by the Red Cross after a blaze broke out at their home.

Fire crews arrived at the home in Stringer Drive in Birchington just after 8pm last night to see the integral garage well alight.

The family of a young baby, young child and four adults had already left the building.

Firefighters injected a cutting agent at high pressure into the garage, which cuts through all known building materials, and then squirted a water spray in to tackle the fire.

The fire then broke out in the small bedroom of the semi-detached home, which was put out.

The family were placed in the care of Red Cross as the home was uninhabitable.

It's believed the fire was accidental and is thought to have started by embers from the family's barbeque being placed close to the garage.