Four fire engines and around 25 firefighters tackled a flat fire on Upland Road in East Dulwich.
Part of a flat in the basement of an end-of-terrace block of flats was damaged by the fire. One resident left the building before crews arrived, and another resident was led to safety from the second floor via an internal staircase by breathing apparatus crews using fire escape hoods. Both residents were assessed by London Ambulance Service for smoke inhalation 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 cause of the fire is believed to have been the unsafe disposal of smoking materials.
A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: “Fires caused by smoking materials including cigarettes, roll-ups, cigars and pipes, result in more deaths than any other type of fire.
“Never leave lit cigarettes unattended and make sure you stub them out properly and dispose of them carefully when you have finished smoking.
"If you don’t, you risk causing a fire which could not only destroy your home, but also put lives at risk.”
The Brigade was called at 2052 and the fire was under control by 2205. Fire crews from Peckham, New Cross, Forest Hill, and Brixton fire stations were at the scene.