A SHOCKED mother-of-four whose living room was left gutted by fire says she and her family are lucky to be alive.

Maxine Clarke - whose house in Kings Hall Road, Beckenham, did not have a working smoke alarm - was awoken by a "crackling sound" at around 7.30am.

She went downstairs to find black smoke seeping from under the living room door, before alerting her three daughters, aged 21, 22 and 25, and their two friends.

Her 13-year-old daughter was staying at a friend's house.

Housewife Mrs Clarke, 45, said: "We could have all ended up dead - that smoke would have had us.

"We have a smoke alarm, but the battery has run out, so it was lucky I heard the crackling sound.

"When I realised I started screaming everyone get out, quick, fire'.

"It was only when we got out the house the enormity of what could have happened hit me and I started crying."

The shocked family exited the house to see plumes of thick smoke billowing from the chimney and windows.

Mrs Clarke called the fire brigade, who arrived to find the the group huddled in a car on the driveway.

Two pumps from Beckenham fire station fought the blaze at the five-bedroomed house.

Crews wore breathing apparatus to avoid toxic flames as they fought the flames.

It was under control within minutes and the fire investigation unit is now probing the incident.

Mrs Clarke says the fire could have been started by her faulty television set, which has been taken away for testing.

She says black lines were appearing on the screen the day before the fire on February 11.

Now, she is urging people to ensure their smoke alarms are in good working order and to check the batteries are working regularly.

  • For a free fire safety check and smoke alarm call the brigade on 08000 284428.