There was a lucky escape for a family in Little Paxton after a fire broke out in their home on Monday.

Firefighters from St Neots were called to a property in Grove Court, shortly after 9am, following reports that a house had filled with smoke after a fire started out in the kitchen.

Watch Commander Jon-Paul Jones, the officer in charge of the incident, said: “The occupants of the property were alerted by their smoke alarm. They quickly evacuated through a window making sure to close the doors to the different rooms on the way, ensuring the smoke didn’t spread.

“Thanks to these swift actions, the smoke damage was confined to just the kitchen. Although it was quite smoke logged, the damage could have been worse had they not have closed the door to the kitchen.

“This incident highlights the importance of not only keeping internal doors closed, particularly at night, but also ensuring there are working smoke alarms placed throughout the property and that they are tested regularly.”

The cause of the fire was accidental.