A neighbour is in shock at a fire which broke out a few doors away from her in Bexleyheath – and said her eyes were burning.

The blaze happened at a residential home in Parkside Avenue at about 3am on Thursday (July 21).

And Jade Wardell, 21, was woken up by her dad, who urged her to shut her bedroom windows to prevent the smoke from entering their home.

The family rushed outside and “couldn’t see anything” due to the amount of smoke in the air.

Miss Wardell said: “The smoke was filling up our house and my mum woke up coughing.

News Shopper:

The damaged house in Parkside Avenue, Bexleyheath | Picture: London Fire Brigade

“We put our dressing gowns on and went outside – the road was so black that you couldn’t see anything. My eyes were burning from the smoke.

“Obviously you’re worried, when I woke up, I was thinking ‘is this my house?’ All the houses in the road are terraced so the fire could’ve spread easily. It was scary.”

A man was arrested yesterday on suspicion of arson and intent to endanger life, and was taken to hospital for smoke inhalation.

The two dogs, in a bedroom on the first floor, died.

The blaze has affected other residents as Miss Wardell’s neighbour is staying at a B&B due to the extreme heat in her house.

News Shopper:

The fire in Parkside Avenue 

Miss Wardell told News Shopper: “We knew the man had dogs but we never saw them come out of the house during the fire.

“My friend, who lives next to the house, has to stay at a B&B for a week because the fire made her floor so hot – it melted her bath.

“I didn’t get back to bed until 6am and I couldn’t really sleep because of a bright spotlight coming from one of the fire engines.”

Four fire engines, 21 firefighters and Met Police officers attended the scene.

Watch manager Graham Uttley said: “If there had been smoke alarms in the property, it would have alerted the occupant to the fire before it got to such an intensity.

“Everyone should have at least one smoke alarm on every level of your home and the safest option is to have those linked together.

“This will give the earliest warning if there is a fire in your home.”

Bexley police officers are investigating the incident.