A quick-thinking hero has been treated for burns after helping neighbours flee their home as their tumble dryer became engulfed in flames.

Smoke billowed from the house in East Peckham near Tonbridge at 4.30pm yesterday prompting a heavy emergency service response.

The property in Tonbridge Road was "thankfully" fitted with smoke alarms which alerted the family, Kent Fire and Rescue said.

They added: "A neighbour who assisted the occupiers with their escape was treated for superficial burns. The cause of the fire is thought to be accidental.

"Thankfully the family was alerted by their smoke alarms and were able to leave the premises.

"There was some fire damage to the room where the appliance was kept, and the rest of the property was affected by smoke from the fire."

Wearing breathing apparatus, firefighters fought back the flames with a high-pressure jet, then cleared the smoke with a large extractor fan, but the tumble dryer was destroyed, they added.

'We strongly encourage members of the public to remove tumble dryer lint after every use...'

Tumble dryers should always be kept in rooms fitted with smoke alarms, the authority said.

Other safety precautions include regularly cleaning the filters, especially the fluff that builds up which can ignite.

And some items are not appropriate for tumble dryers, trainers for example or the wrong size.

Always check the manufacturers’ instructions, particularly for drying quilts or sleeping bags and never leave the machine running overnight or out of the house.

It comes after a pub in St Mary's Island was forced to temporarily close after a fire caused significant damage.

Four fire engines were called to the Ship and Trades in Maritime Way just after 11pm in September, where it's believed the blaze started in a tumble dryer.

Nobody was injured.

But paramedics had to treat a woman in Maidstone after a tumble dryer went up in flames at her home in Calder Road.

It prompted Colin King, area manager for customer safety and engagement, to say: “We strongly encourage members of the public to remove tumble dryer lint after every use, and to register household appliances to ensure they are safe to use."