A chip pan fire caused a substantial amount of damage to a basement flat in Chatham, on Sunday evening.

The fire which broke out in the kitchen at the flat in Boundary Road at about 4.10pm, left the three-storey building with huge smoke and fire damage.

The occupants had heard the fire alarm and were able to vacate the building without being injured.

The crew from Medway fire station were there for around 40 minutes and called in help from the Red Cross support vehicle to help the person who lived there.

A spokesman for Kent Fire and Rescue Service, said: “It could have been much worse if there had not been a fire alarm in the property.

"It is never a good idea to leave hot fat unattended while cooking, but the resident did the right thing getting out of the building and calling for help.

“We would urge all Medway residents to check they have a working smoke alarm in the homes and if they don’t then they can call us for a free home fire safety check.

If you would like a fire safety check, call 0800 9237000.

Cash and carry

Firefighters were called out to a cash and carry in Rochester on Sunday afternoon, after a small fire broke out in an electrical cupboard.

A crew from Strood fire station was called out to Bookers’ Cash and Carry, in Laker Road, at about 4.15pm.

A spokesman for Kent Fire and Rescue Service said: “Staff reported smoke coming from an electrical cupboard and called for assistance.

The crew found a small fire inside and called for engineers from the electrical company to come out and turn the power off.

We were on scene for about an hour and the fire caused a minimum amount of damage to the cupboard.”