KINDLING from a small fire sparked a serious patio blaze in Hurst this afternoon.

Firefighters were called to Church Hill at around 2.15pm after a man left paper and twigs he had tried to light a fire with on the garden patio.

Once outside the kindling ignited and the flames spread to the large wooden table and patio furniture as well as breaking the windows and causing serious damage to the outside of the detached house.

But the man managed to battle the blaze using a fire extinguisher and garden hose and firefighters from Wokingham and Reading checked the property with a thermal imaging camera to make sure the blaze had not spread inside.

Firefighters are warning neighbours to make sure ashes and kindling are kept in metal dustbins and away from anything that can catch fire.