A fuse box in a block of flats "exploded" last night, cutting the power to people's homes.

Dartford fire crews were called out to High Street, Farningham, at 1.55am after what one of the firefighters described as an "explosion in the electric intake box blew the mains".

Everybody was evacuated from the old building, which had been converted into flats. The small fire scorched the carpet in the building's hallway but had burnt itself out before fire crews arrived.

It created a lot of smoke in the property and a man and woman were treated for smoke inhalation.

Nobody was injured and crews called the electricity board to take care of the fault and left the scene at 2.50am.

One of the attending firefighters said: "Some of the smoke detectors in the property didn't go off.

"Many people have detectors which run off electricity. In this case when the electricity went the smoke detectors didn't work.

"It is important for people to realise that even electrically powered detectors do have a battery inside as a back up and people must be checking that their detectors have a working battery inside."

Fire crews were also called out to three separate vehicle fires during the evening and early morning.

At 6.30am firefighters attended a motorbike on fire in Bazes Shaw, New Ash Green.

The bike, which still had its security chain attached to it, is believed to have been stolen and dragged into a nearby field where it was set alight.

The incident is now in the hands of police who are looking into is as suspected arson.

At 12.30am fire crews were called out to a car alight in Joyce Green Lane, Dartford.

When they arrived there was nobody in the area and the Suzuki Vitara was blazing.

One of the firefighters added: "Unfortunately the car was completely destroyed, it was only five years old but unsalvageable by the time we got there."

At 3.30am, crews were called out again to Priory Close, Dartford to another car alight.