A shop and a flat above it on Ealing Road in Wembley were damaged by a fire, yesterday evening.
The alarm was raised by a shop worker who smelt smoke. They then called the Brigade and alerted the residents in the flats above the shop to the fire. Crews led around 20 people to safety from the property but thankfully no one was injured.
Four fire engines and 21 firefighters and officers attended the scene. The fire badly damaged the ground floor and the staircase leading to the first floor, where a flat was partly affected.
The cause of the fire is believed to be accidental but there was no smoke alarm fitted in the property.
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 2218 and the fire was under control by 0015. Fire crews from Park Royal, Acton and Ealing fire stations attended the scene.