A discarded cigarette started a "frightening" blaze which took hold across multiple homes yesterday.

Firefighters were called to Jubilee Crescent in Gravesend at 1.10pm to reports of a fire affecting a number of properties.

Three homes in a terrace were affected – two were damaged by flames and the other by water. All the houses were lived in, with some also home to pets and children.

At its peak, there were nine fire engines there, a height vehicle and the technical rescue team.

By 5.30pm, it had been scaled back to five engines and a Kent Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: "Crews are making good progress in fighting the fire externally from the height vehicle and main jets, and internally crews wearing breathing apparatus are tackling the fire with hose reel jets."

By 9pm the fire service confirmed all crews had left the scene.

This morning, a spokesman added: "The fire is believed to have started accidentally, after spreading from a discarded cigarette."

Fire crews were called to the blaze yesterday

Lisa Claydon, who lives opposite, said today she was "glad it was over", while looking at the remnants of neighbours' roofs and gardens.

She described how she had helped get some of those in one of the blazing homes to safety.

She said: "It was really frightening. I was in my back garden and I could smell fire but thought it was just a neighbour having a bonfire.

"I looked out my window and saw flames so I ran outside. I just got all the kids out of the next door and we all stayed in my house.

"We got the dogs out and put them in my bathroom. We were all crying, everyone was already out. We had to watch it all.

The aftermath of the fire

"We were eventually evacuated. It was so smoky we could not even see where we were walking.

"We have all got kids in these houses. I am so glad it did not happen late at night – I do not know what would have happened.

"It is just horrible. You could hear all the kids crying and screaming.

"It was like watching a film and seeing your worst nightmare but it is reality. It was awful."

Lisa said she is now worried it could happen again, and is also calling for another exit – such as an alleyway – out of the crescent after some people found themselves having to jump garden fences to escape.

This morning, fire crews were called again by worried passers-by after the debris was seen smoking. Crews arrived and put water on it.

Yesterday, as the fire took hold, black smoke could be seen rising above the scene from all over Gravesend and beyond.

Pictures and footage showed the fire tearing through homes, and buildings left severely damaged.

Another neighbour Anna Ratkiewicz explained how she, her daughter and dog had to climb over the back fence onto the football pitch behind as they could not get out of the close.

She said: "It was terrible. We were in when it happened. I was in the kitchen and I saw it was very, very dark. I thought maybe it was going to rain.

"My neighbours are doing work in the loft so I thought they were maybe drilling or something but even that, it was too dark for me.

"I thought something was wrong. My neighbours came over to me and said we had to run.

"It was so scary and stressful. We just left the house like it was and only took our phone. I left my keys.

"We will never forget what has happened. You see it and cannot do anything; fire can destroy our properties and even if you want to stop it, you cannot."

Emilia Chmielarz was with her fiancée Lukasz Zawada when the flames broke out. They live in the same terrace where the fire took hold, but a few doors down. She said: "We were crying. We could not believe it and thought our house could burn down.

"People at the back were still playing football while the fire was burning. All our cars and windows were covered in smoke. We were just panicking.

"We are worried what will happen now. Are they going to knock the whole terrace down or just the three houses? For us, we do not know what will happen to the house we pay a mortgage on."

Kent Fire and Rescue said no injuries had been reported.

Those who lived in the three homes are understood to be staying with family and friends.

The tragedy comes just weeks after another major blaze in the town, which saw a former pub go up in smoke.