A woman and child were given vital fire survival guidance by a 999 call operator during a blaze at a block of flats in Fern Close, Erith.
The woman and child were unable to leave their flat after a fire started in the communal hallway.
They called 999 and a trained call operator helped to keep them calm and advised them to close the front door and place a blanket underneath, to block out smoke. She also advised them to hang an item out of the window so crews could easily identify which flat they were in. She stayed on the phone until firefighters arrived and led the pair to safety, using fire escape hoods.
Fire escape hoods provide members of the public with up to 15 minutes protection from four of the main fire gases (carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide, hydrogen chloride and acrolein) and can be worn by conscious or unconscious people.
Part of the second floor hallway was damaged by fire.
The woman and child were treated on the scene by London Ambulance Service.
The Brigade was called at 1201 and the fire was under control by 1248. Fire crews from Erith, Bexley and Plumstead fire stations attended the incident.
The cause of the fire is under investigation by London Fire Brigade and the Metropolitan Police.