Four fire engines and 21 firefighters and officers dealt with a fire in a block of flats on Deeley Road in Nine Elms last night.
A flat on the third floor was badly damaged by the blaze. Watch Manager Gary Melia said:
“When firefighters arrived they saw smoke coming from the third floor and some people who were on their balconies unable to escape because of the smoke. The crews immediately tackled the fire and went knocking on the doors of the two upper floors to make sure everybody was alerted, and around 40 people were led to safety via internal staircase.”
A woman and two young men left the affected flat before the arrival of the Brigade, and one man was taken to hospital by London Ambulance Service crews.
The cause of the fire is believed to be accidental, most likely to be due to a candle left unattended.
"Candles are one of the most common causes of fire. It’s really important that you never leave a candle unattended and keep them away from curtains and anything else that can easily catch fire.”
The Brigade was called at 0056 and the fire was under control by 0225. Fire crews from Clapham, Lambeth and Brixton fire stations attended the scene.