Firefighters have issued a cooking safety reminder after a flat fire on Mansfield Road in Gospel Oak.
A third-floor flat was destroyed by fire. A woman left the affected flat before firefighters arrived and was taken to hospital by London Ambulance Service crews. A man also left an adjacent flat before crews arrived. There was heavy smoke logging on the second floor and firefighters ventilated the building and carried out a systematic search of neighbouring flats.
The fire is believed to have been caused by items on a hob being ignited when a hotplate was accidentally turned on.
A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: “Fires are more likely to start in the kitchen than any other room in the home.
"Cooking should never be left unattended on the hob or grill - if you have to leave the kitchen, turn off the heat. Double check the cooker and hob are turned off when you’ve finished cooking.”
The Brigade was called at 1649 and the fire was under control by 1751. Six fire engines and around 40 firefighters from Soho, Islington, Shoreditch and surrounding fire stations attended the scene.