Four fire engines and around 25 firefighters were called to a fire at a flat on All Saints Road in Sutton.
Half of a four-roomed flat on the second floor of the building was damaged by fire. Around 17 people left the building before the Brigade arrived. Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus used a fire escape hood to rescue one man via an internal staircase. He was treated on scene by London Ambulance Service crews and taken to hospital.
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. If more than 15 minutes protection is required then another hood can be given to each wearer. They do not provide oxygen but temporarily filter toxic smoke to make breathing easier.
The Brigade was called at 0021 and the fire was under control by 0125. Fire crews from Sutton, Mitcham, Wallington and New Malden fire stations attended the scene.
The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Brigade and the Metropolitan Police Service.