Firefighters are warning people to carefully dispose of their cigarettes following a fire in flats above a supermarket on Tilley Road in Feltham this morning.
Six fire engines and around 35 firefighters were called when the blaze broke out in the block of flats.
The fire badly damaged a five roomed flat on the third floor. One woman was led to safety by crews wearing breathing apparatus via an internal staircase and she was treated at the scene by London Ambulance Service. A further 100 people evacuated the block before the Brigade arrived.
Station Manager Lucy Macleod who was at the scene said: “When they arrived our crews were faced with an incredibly fierce, hot fire but they worked extremely hard to contain it to the flat where it started.”
The cause of the fire is believed to be accidental and caused by the disposal of smoking materials igniting items on the balcony.
A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: “Incidents like this show just how important it is to dispose of cigarettes properly. 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 fire was very visible and our 999 Control Officers took around 20 emergency calls from members of the public.
The Brigade was called at 0920 and the fire was under control by 1017. Crews from Feltham, Twickenham, Heston, Hillingdon and Southall fire stations attended the scene.