Firefighters have issued an urgent safety warning ahead of Bonfire Night after a firework set a shed ablaze on Thursday night.

Crews were called to Turnstone in Longfield at 9.51pm after the firework hit the shed and set fire to external wooden cladding.

The owner tried to extinguish the flames using a dry powder extinguisher but firefighters took over and used a hose reel to put the fire out and cool the building. A thermal imaging camera was then used to check for fire spread.

With plenty of households set to stage their own fireworks displays to mark Bonfire Night, Kent Fire and Rescue has told people to be careful and follow its firework safety code to minimise risk of fire and injury.

The KFRS Firework Safety Code:

• Plan your firework display to make it safe and enjoyable.
• Only buy fireworks marked with British Standard Kitemark BS 7114.
• Don’t drink alcohol if setting off fireworks.
• Keep fireworks in a closed metal box and take them out one at a time.
• Always follow the instructions carefully when using them. Read them in daylight or by torchlight, never by a naked flame.
• Light the firework at arms length with a taper and stand well back.
• Keep naked flames, including cigarettes, away from fireworks.
• Never go back to fireworks once they are lit. Even if it hasn’t gone off, it could still explode.
• Never throw fireworks and don’t put them in your pocket.
• Always supervise children around fireworks and never give sparklers to children under five and put them in a bucket of water after use.
• Respect your neighbours – don’t let off fireworks late at night.
• Keep your pets indoors throughout the evening with the curtains closed.

Crews left the scene in Turnstone at 10.10pm.