Kent Fire and Rescue Service has issued a warning over bonfires after several call-outs this week.

Dartford firefighters stopped flames from a brazier causing serious damage to a home in Willow Road on Monday (July 25).

Crews were alerted to the blaze by a resident who spotted a big plume of smoke and thought his car was on fire at about 7.30pm.

He discovered the brazier fire he had left burning set light to a pile of wood stored next to the house, spreading to external cladding on the building.

Two fire engines were sent to the address, arriving within six minutes of the 999 call.

Crews worked from ladders using small tools to strip away the cladding that had been damaged by heat and flames to ensure the fire was completely out.

During the same evening, firefighters responded to a call about a number of garden bonfires in close proximity in Lennox Road and St James Avenue, Gravesend.

A hose reel was used to reduce the size of one of the bonfires and residents were given advice about the large amount of smoke in the area, which caused a nuisance to neighbours.

Crews spent nearly an hour extinguishing a blaze in Suffolk Road, Gravesend, involving fencing and two garden sheds on Monday.

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Suffolk Road in Gravesend on Monday

A teenage boy was treated by firefighters for the effects of breathing in smoke and burns to his hands.

Watch manager Rich Emery said: “If you light a bonfire, please be careful, especially during the warm weather when bushes and undergrowth are particularly dry and fires can spread easily.

“Please think about your neighbours and don’t cause a nuisance, they want to enjoy their gardens too.

“There are no laws against having a bonfire, but there are laws for the nuisance they can cause.”