A "hero" dog died saving his owner's life when fire engulfed their home.
Kevin Record was asleep when his XL American bully, called Shogun, woke him up and alerted him to the blaze, believed to have been sparked by an e-scooter being charged.
The 43-year-old saw sparks coming from his e-scooter as he woke and, within seconds, it exploded, with flames rapidly spreading throughout the flat.
Panicked and disoriented, Kevin managed to escape the fire and smoke-filled room.
However, he sustained "life-changing" burns to the right side of his body.
Kevin was heartbroken when he discovered his dog, Shogun, died in the blaze.
He said: “I’m absolutely devastated by what’s happened, especially losing Shogun. He was everything to me and died saving my life.
“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.”
Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) fire investigators believe a fault occurred while his e-scooter was on charge, causing the battery pack to overheat and catch alight.
Kevin is currently in intensive care at the Queen Victoria Hospital in West Sussex, with 20 per cent of his body is covered in burns.
His 39-year-old sister, Gemma Servante, explained that without Shogun her brother wouldn't be here today.
Gemma, of Minster, Kent, said: "His burns are all over his body but the worst are on his hand and feet.
"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.
"That little doggy saved his life. Shogun jumped over him, that is what woke him up and alerted him to the fire.
"When Kev woke up at first he was a little disorientated. He ran to the window; one of them didn't open, so he tried the second one.
"When that opened he inhaled fresh air because he'd been breathing in the smoke.
"But when he turned around what was a little fire just 10 seconds before had quickly engulfed the whole flat."
Blinded by the smoke in the flat, Kevin couldn't find his beloved dog.
Gemma added: "He couldn't see the dog any more. Kev was feeling around for Shogun because he couldn't see and was screaming his name but he couldn't find him.
"Kev had to run through the flames to get out of his front door.
"He was just in his boxers and he had to run through the fire to get out, that is why the worst of his burns are on the soles of his feet – he has no skin left on one of them.
"Seconds after he got out, the windows blew. He didn't have time to stop and get his phone or shoes or anything.
"He is so lucky that he got out. If Shogun hadn't woken him up, if Kev had been asleep for just another 10 seconds it would have been very different.
"This dog was a hero."
Kevin, a charity shop volunteer, only moved into his flat in Sheerness, Kent, a couple of months ago.
Four fire crews battled the blaze in the early hours of Monday April 17.
Despite their best efforts the damage was irreversible and all of Kevin’s belongings were destroyed.
Speaking from his hospital bed, Kevin said he routinely checked his e-scooter was in good working order, as he was aware of the fire risk with lithium-ion battery powered devices.
He said: “I’m quite into technology and thought I had a good understanding of electronics, but this just shows a fire like this can happen to anyone.
“I was a real advocate of things like e-scooters and e-cigarettes, but I wouldn’t ever buy anything like that again after going through this.
“I would never want this to happen to anyone else, so I hope by sharing my experience, I can help other people to stay safe.”
KFRS Crew Manager Steve Smart, who was one of the first firefighters at the scene, said: “Kevin absolutely had a lucky escape – if Shogun hadn’t of woken him up the outcome could have been very different.
“We’re grateful to Kevin for sharing his story, which we know can’t have been easy, but we hope it will help to raise awareness of the risks associated with lithium-ion batteries and encourage people take extra care, and to use and store them safely to reduce the chance of fire.”
Mr Smart urges people who own any items powered by lithium-ion batteries to remember to only buy devices and parts from reputable suppliers.
He also warns people to charge and store them safely in line with the manufacturer’s guidance, only charge them when at home and awake and always unplug them after use.
It is also vital to store them well away from escape routes or sleeping areas and to have a smoke alarm on each floor of your home and test them weekly.
Kevin had had Shogun since he was six weeks old. He was five when he died.
Gemma said: "Following some issues with his mental health Kev was finally doing so well. He'd turned his life around and that dog was a huge part of it.
"That dog was his life. The fire was so terrible but Kev would be so proud of Shogun for saving his life.
"However, all he keeps saying is 'my boy, my boy, I left him after all he did for me'.
"The whole thing is just unreal. Shogun is a hero, the whole family loved him. He was massive but so beautiful.
"I don't know what Kev is going to do without the dog."
Gemma confirmed that her brother is likely to need skin grafts and will be in hospital for quite some time.
Following the fire, Gemma has set up a GoFundMe page to help Kevin get back on his feet.
She said: "He literally has nothing left.
"He has lost absolutely everything he owns in the fire, except the boxers he was wearing when he escaped.
"He is now homeless and he'll need to get everything new from a toothbrush to new clothes and furniture.
"I'm hoping to raise some money to help him with this. We've gotten quite a lot of support already.
“The Island has pulled together to help my brother and I am already so thankful."
