The Brigade is reminding homeowners to take extra with portable heaters in this cold weather after fire investigators believe one caused a house fire.
Four fire engines and 21 firefighters and officers were called to a fire at a house on Culverden Road in Tooting Bec this afternoon.
The fire damaged the ground floor hall and living room in the semi-detached house. The upper floors in the four storey house were smoke damaged and the property was left uninhabitable.
One man left the house before the Brigade arrived and was taken to hospital by London Ambulance Service suffering from smoke inhalation.
The fire is believed to have been caused by a paraffin heater. A spokesperson for the Brigade said:
“With temperatures plummeting below freezing, we're urging people to take extra care if using portable heaters to keep warm in their homes.
"It's important people make sure their portable heaters are standing upright and kept well away from clothes, curtains or furniture."
Most of these fires are easily preventable. We're asking people not to become another statistic by following our portable heater and open fire advice.
Fire crews from Tooting, Battersea, West Norwood fire stations attended the incident. The Brigade was called at 1437 and the incident was over by 1606.