by Lynn Cox

lcox@thekmgroup.co.uk

A home owner is lucky to be alive after a fire broke out in her home in Valley Road, Gillingham, in the early hours.

The woman, who has not been named, discovered the blaze after going to investigate strange noises coming from a downstairs room.

She ran back up the stairs to grab a phone before find her way back down the smoke filled stairs and out of the front door.

She knocked on a neighbour’s house and dialed 999.

Firefighters from Medway fire station were called out to deal with the blaze at about 3.30am and found the property well alight.

A spokesman for Kent Fire and Rescue Service said: "The woman was lucky to get out of the home unhurt.

"We think the fire may have started by a stray flame from the fire place.

"The woman said she put her fire out before she had gone to bed, but we think there may have still been embers burning and one of these may have caused the fire.

"The home didn’t have a smoke alarm, but the woman heard noises coming from downstairs.

"She went to investigate and found the fire in the back room. Unfortunately she left the door to the room open and then smoke spread through the rest of the property.

"She then went upstairs, she said to grab a telephone, and somehow managed to find her way through the smoke out of the front door.

She is very lucky, it is never a good idea to go back upstairs after you have discovered a fire.

"It is also advisable to get a fire alarm, which will give people the chance to detect a fire at an early opportunity.

"People who have real fires in their homes should also make sure it is well out before the go to bed.

"As it was, this fire caused a substantial amount of fire and smoke damage to the home."