Five cats were rescued by firefighters dealing with a fire on Wickham Avenue in North Cheam this afternoon, a nice farewell for Incident Commander Kevin Bowen, who will end his service with the Brigade this weekend.
Four fire engines and 21 firefighters attended the scene. The alarm was raised by the neighbours, who heard the smoke alarm sounding and immediately called the Brigade.
A bedroom on the first floor of the two storied house was badly damaged by the fire, but thankfully nobody was home and nobody was injured.
A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said:
"The smoke alarm and the reaction of the neighbours helped the quick response by the Brigade.”
“Everyone should have at least one smoke alarm on every level of your home and the safest option is have those linked together. This will give the earliest warning if there is a fire in your home."
The Brigade was called at 1313 and the fire was under control by 1358. Three fire engines from Kingston, New Malden and Mitcham attended the scene alongside a fire engine from Surrey fire and rescue service. The cause of fire is under investigation.