A dog was rescued by firefighters after a fire at a block of flats in Peckham.
Four fire engines and 21 firefighters and officers were called to Nunhead Crescent after a blaze broke out in a first floor flat last night.
Nobody was home at the time of the fire and half of the flat was damaged.
A male dog was rescued by crews who forced entry to the flat but sadly a tortoise died.
There were no smoke alarms fitted in the property and the Brigade was alerted to the fire by a neighbour.
A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: “Everyone should have at least one smoke alarm on every level of your home and the safest option is to have those linked together. This will give the earliest warning if there is a fire in your home."
The Brigade was called at 1734 and the fire was under control at 1834. Fire crews from New Cross, Old Kent Road and Greenwich fire stations attended the scene. The cause of the fire is believed to be accidental due to a faulty heat lamp.