A teenager has been praised for his quick thinking after a washing machine caught fire in his home.

Firefighters were called to the property in Beechwood Drive, Meopham, at around 9am yesterday.

After noticing smoke, the boy "did exactly the right thing" and closed the door to the utility room where the fire was located.

The power to the washing machine was also isolated before the family left their home.

Despite crews being able to extinguish the flames quickly, 50% of the room was damaged by the blaze.

A hose reel was used to control the fire, before fumes were cleared from the house with a special fan.

Three fire engines were called to the property, which did have working smoke alarms.

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