Fire crews wearing breathing apparatus rescued two men from a flat fire on Homerton High Street in Hackney, early this morning.
Two fire engines and 10 firefighters and officers tackled the blaze in a block of flats. A studio flat on the second floor was damaged by the fire, and a flat on the third floor was affected by thick smoke.
Firefighters rescued two men via an internal staircase; one from a third floor flat and the other from the roof. They were both suffering from smoke inhalation and treated on the scene by London Ambulance Service crews.
The occupier of the flat where the fire started left the property before the Brigade arrived, with no injuries. Further 15 people left the property before the arrival of the Brigade.
The cause of the fire was determined to be accidental, due to careless disposed cigarettes. A spokesperson for the London Fire Brigade said:
“There are around three fires a day in London linked to smoking and half of accidental fire deaths are related to careless disposal of cigarettes. It’s absolutely vital you ensure your cigarette is completely out when you’ve finished smoking it. If you don’t, you risk causing a fire that could destroy not only your home, but also your life.”
The Brigade was called at 0422 and the fire was under control by 0514. Fire crews from Homerton fire station attended the scene.