Kitten accidentally turns on the hob and sets house on fire causing £24,000 damage

A kitten set a family home alight in Adelaide after she jumped onto the owner's stove top and switched it on, causing thousands of pounds of damage.

Emmy, an eight-month-old cat, jumped onto the hob and accidentally turned it in, which set some cereal boxes resting on top alight.

The fire spread through the kitchen until passers-by called the fire services after the smoke alarm was activated.

Luckily, the blaze was put out before it spread any further - but the South Australia Metropolitan Fire service said the fire caused damage of up to $40,000 (£24,000).

Emmy was also saved after she was found hiding under a TV cabinet.

"Family cat accidentally caused $40K house fire. If your cooktop has a power switch, turn power off when not in use. Nil injuries," SA Metropolitan Fire tweeted.

The homeowner told local newspaper the Advertiser: "I raced (home) and the firefighters got here within seconds, they busted in the house and put the fire out.

"They reckon if it had of burned for another three minutes the whole place would've been up, we're very lucky.