A FIRE that wrecked a garage unit in Margate old town is being investigated by police as a suspected arson.

At the height of the blaze neighbours reported 50ft high flames dramatically illuminating the night sky above the fire scene at Fort Mount as 40 firefighters from across Thanet fought to stop them spreading to nearby buildings.

Some elderly residents from the nearby Homefern complex of 92 flats were evacuated to Margate Winter Gardens as a safety precaution, and one man was affected by smoke inhalation.

Residents at Sandpiper Court flats a little further away from the blaze in Fort Hill watched as the drama unfolded. One resident said: "I have never seen anything like it. The flames must have been more than 50ft high in the sky."

The alarm was raised at about 9pm and firemen reported a thick pall of dense smoke in and around the area when they arrived.

One of the Margate crew said: "It was eerie, like an old-fashioned very thick pea-souper fog. The smoke was acrid and visibility was very poor.

"As crews made their way down the alleyway to the garage unit, the fire really took hold and we had to back off."

Firefighters with breathing sets moved in at first as colleagues controlled the flames on the outside and roof of the two-story building that was eventually gutted in the fire.

Equipment and a car inside the building perished and a car parked outside suffered a melted roof and damaged bodywork.

Margate central ward councillor Iris Johnston visited the scene shortly after she finished work at 10pm.

She said: "There was a big concern that combustible material like cylinders may have been in the garage.

"The fire service and police did a brilliant job containing a fire that was in a difficult place to get to, particularly as there are quite a lot of residential properties in the area."

Fire crews involved were full time and retained from Margate, Ramsgate and the Thanet station at Broadstairs. Eight pumps and a specialist height vehicle to get above the flames were used.

This morning firefighters were damping down the scene as a safety measure, while the probe into the cause of the fire was under way.

Thanet council leader Sandy Ezekiel and Cllr Ingrid Spencer, cabinet member for housing, were at the scene.

Cllr Ezekiel said: "There was a lot of extremely dense smoke. The professionalism of the emergency services is to be applauded.

"They remained very calm in a difficult situation and carried out a first class job, as always.

"The council housing team were on the scene as soon as possible and worked with the management of Homefern House to help reassure residents that everything was under control. They also ensured that the Winter Gardens was available in case a full evacuation was needed.

"Homefern House residents were evacuated from two blocks and housed into the main block before being allowed back to their homes when the danger was over."