Six fire engines and about 40 firefighters tackled a fire at a restaurant with houses next to it at Glebe Way in West Wickham.
A small area of the ground floor, mid-terraced restaurant was damaged by smoke, heat and fire. Most of the external ducting running from the ground floor to the roof of the building was also damaged by smoke, heat and fire.
Residents of the property above the restaurant were alerted to the fire when they heard the alarm sounding in the restaurant and noticed a smell of burning. They left the premises and dialled 999.
On arrival, fire crews saw heavy smoke, flames at roof level and the top of the ducting.
Firefighters evacuated 22 people from properties next to the restaurant and isolated gas and electrical supplies into the building. There were no reports of any injuries.
The cause of the fire was accidental. It is believed that a deep fat fryer had been left on in the restaurant kitchen unattended, heating the oil which caused it to ignite.
A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: “Cooking with hot oil can be really dangerous, as it can easily overheat, so it’s important to keep an eye on it at all times. If the oil starts to smoke, it’s too hot. Turn off the heat and leave it to cool.”
The Brigade was called at 0653 and the fire was under control by 0919. Fire crews from Addington, Beckenham, Woodside, Croydon and Bromley fire stations attended the scene.