Feline firebug forces ACT family to flee

A mother and child have been forced to flee a Canberra house after their family cat set the kitchen on fire.

The pair were woken by the smoke alarm before sunrise on Tuesday morning and quickly evacuated their Richardson home.

Firefighters soon discovered the resident cat knocked a roll of plastic wrap onto the touch-sensitive stove - sending the kitchen up in smoke - and are urging residents to lock their stovetop sensors and switches.