A discarded cigarette was not fully cooled before being placed in a plastic bin outside a house in Margate, causing it to catch fire. 

One fire engine attended the home in Chapel Hill Close and firefighters used a hose reel jet to extinguish the flames, before using a high-pressured fan to clear the property of smoke. 

No injuries were reported. 

Crews believe the fire started accidentally when the hot cigarette set fire to other items in the bin, which then caught alight and spread to a decking area, fencing and a window. 

Firefighters carried out a home fire safety visit and fitted two new smoke alarms, as well as offering the resident important safety advice, including how to dispose of smoking materials safely. 

People should always ensure cigarettes and cigars are fully stubbed out and cooled before being discarded, and to only use a proper, heavy ashtray which can’t tip over easily and is made of a material that won’t burn.