A smoke alarm alerted residents to a blaze in a block of flats in Pedro Street, Hackney.
Four fire engines and around 25 firefighters were called to the blaze. Twenty five percent of a six roomed maisonette, on the second and third floor, was damaged by fire. Fifteen adults and four children left the building before the Brigade arrived. One woman was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation by London Ambulance Service.
Watch Manager Mick Curnick, who was at the scene, said: “When crews arrived, they were faced with a fire which had started in the kitchen and spread to the hallway. Crews worked quickly to bring the fire under control. Fortunately a smoke alarm in the property had activated and everyone had got out of the building before we arrived.”
A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: “This incident shows just how important it is to have working smoke alarms.
“Smoke alarms give the earliest possible warning when a fire starts. Make sure smoke alarms are fitted in rooms where a fire can start except kitchens or bathrooms where heat alarms are more appropriate.”
The Brigade was called at 0332 and the fire was under control by 0424. Fire Crews from Homerton and Stoke Newington fire stations attended the incident.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.