Firefighters rescued a woman and a child from a fire at a house on Shalford Close in Orpington.
Part of the ground floor of a mid-terraced house was damaged by fire.
Leading Firefighter Steven Board, who was at the scene, said: “The hallway of the house was alight, blocking a safe escape route for the residents inside. The Brigade’s 999 Control Officers gave vital fire survival guidance to a woman and a child who were in an upstairs bedroom at the rear of the house on how to stay safe before crews arrived.
“On arrival, firefighters noticed a light shining from the bedroom and pitched a short extension ladder to the first floor of the house. We assisted the woman and the child down the ladder to safety who were then taken to hospital by London Ambulance Service crews.
“Crews worked swiftly to bring the fire under control and make sure that everyone was safely out of the building.”
The Brigade was called at 0232 and the fire was under control by 0248. Three fire engines and around 15 firefighters from Orpington and Bromley fire stations attended the scene.
The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Brigade and the Metropolitan Police Service.