Firefighters rescued a man from a fire in his flat on Lockwood Square in Bermondsey last night.
Three fire engines and 14 firefighters dealt with the fire, which was in a seven storey block of flats. A four roomed flat on the sixth floor was damaged by a fire, which started in the kitchen, due to cooking left unattended.
The Brigade was called by a neighbour, who smelled burning and heard the smoke alarm. The crews attending the scene had to force their way in to rescue the man, who was suffering from smoke inhalation. The man was the only person in the property, and was taken to hospital by the London Ambulance Service.
Fire crews managed to contain the fire and prevent it from spreading from the kitchen, which was severely damaged.
The property was fitted with an working smoke alarm that raised the alarm. A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said:
"This man is very lucky to have an attentive neighbour and a working smoke alarm. If he didn’t, he might not have survived this fire."
"Our advice is to have a working smoke alarm on every level of your home and the safest option is have the alarms linked together. This will give the earliest warning if there is a fire in your home."
The Brigade was called at 2147 and the fire was under control by 2321. Fire Crews from Old Kent Road, Dockhead and New Cross stations attended the scene.