A beloved pet has died in a flat fire in Kent after saving his owner’s life and alerting him to the smoke and flames.

Kevin Record, 43, from Kent was asleep in the early hours of the morning on April 17, when his XL American Bully, named Shogun, woke him up and alerted him to the flames rapidly spreading throughout his flat.

Mr Record, from Sheerness in Kent, was panicked and disorientated and tried to escape the smoke-filled flat as quickly as possible but he sustained “life-changing” burns to his body. He was heartbroken when he discovered his beloved dog did not survive the fire.

He said: “I’m absolutely devastated by what’s happened, especially losing Shogun. He was everything to me and died saving my life.”

When Kevin was woken up by his pet, he became “disorientated” and tried to open his flat windows to avoid breathing in the smoke. When he turned around, he tried feeling and calling for Shogun but couldn’t find his dog and had to run to get out of his front door.

The charity shop volunteer had Shogun when he was a six-week-old puppy, and he was five when he died.

Kevin said: “I can’t explain the speed of the fire. I had never seen anything like it. Within seconds, it was like a fireball that spread to everything in sight. It was like a grenade going off, just terrifying.”

Kevin is currently in intensive care at the Queen Victoria Hospital in West Sussex, suffering from 20 percent of his body covered in burns.

Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) believe a fault occurred while his e-scooter was on charge, causing the battery pack to overheat and catch alight. Steve Smart, KFRS Crew Manager, was one of the first firefighters at the scene and believes Kevin had a “lucky escape”.

He said: “If Shogun hadn’t woken him up the outcome could have been very different.”

Mr Smart urges people who own any items powered by lithium-ion batteries to remember to only buy devices and parts from reputable suppliers. Charging and storing them in line with the manufacturer’s guidance is key and you should only charge them when awake at home and unplug them after use.

The KFRS Crew Manager also urges people to test smoke alarms weekly and to make sure escape routes are clear at home.

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Kevin’s younger sister, Gemma Servante, explains without Shogun’s instincts, Kevin would not be here today.

Ms Servante said: “He has lost all the skin on his hands and feet. He is lucky to be alive but his whole world was gone in seconds. He was just in his boxers and he had to run through the fire to get out, that’s why the worst of his burns are on the soles of his feet – he has no skin left on one of them.”

She added: “Seconds after he got out, the windows blew. He didn’t have time to stop and get his phone or shoes or anything.”

Following the fire, Kevin’s sister has set up a GoFundMe page to help Kevin get back on track. So far, they have raised over £3,000.

Speaking from Kevin’s hospital bed, Kevin has been put off buying e-scooters or e-cigarettes. He said: “I wouldn’t buy anything like that again after going through this. I would never want this to happen to any else, so I hope by sharing my experience, I can help other people to stay safe.”

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