A tea light left unattended in a room while a child slept caused a flat blaze on Goswell Road in Islington last night.
The mother heard a loud noise coming from the bedroom and found the room alight with her daughter inside. She rescued her and escaped the flat with her other daughter.
Half of the sixth floor flat was damaged by fire and there was smoke on the sixth, seventh and eighth floor corridor. Fire crews led an elderly woman to safety from an adjacent flat and around 25 people left the block before the Brigade arrived. London Ambulance Service crews assessed people at the scene.
Watch Manger Richard Reid said:
“Thankfully the mother heard a bang in the bedroom and quickly got her daughters out of the property with all of them uninjured. This highlights the importance of never leaving candles unattended and always blowing them out before bed. There was a working smoke alarm in the hallway but homes need multiple and linked alarms to give you better protection. Ideal spots for smoke alarms include rooms where you leave electrical equipment running like satellite boxes, computers or heaters; any room where you smoke, and anywhere you charge your mobile or laptop.”
The Brigade was called at 2117 and the fire was under control by 2225. Firefighters from Shoreditch, Islington, Soho, Dowgate, Homerton and Euston fire stations were at the scene.