Firefighters and officers were called to a fire in a ground floor flat in Rusper Close in Cricklewood yesterday evening.
Three quarters of the living room was damaged by fire and fire had also spread to the corridor. Thankfully no one was in the property at the time of the time.
Fourteen firefighters and officers and three fire engines attended the blaze from West Hampstead and Willesden fire stations.
It’s thought the blaze was caused by careless disposal of a cigarette on a bed in the living room. A spokesman for the London Fire Brigade says that incidents like this show how important it is to put out cigarettes properly:
“Fires caused by smoking materials - including cigarettes, roll-ups, cigars and pipe tobacco - result in more deaths than any other type of fire. 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 1703 and the fire was under control at 1745.