Four fire engines and around 25 firefighters tackled a fire on Beaconsfield Road in Walworth.
The fire occurred at a split-level maisonette on the ground and first floors of a five-storey residential block. Part of the maisonette's balcony was damaged by fire.
A woman was rescued via an internal staircase by firefighters wearing breathing apparatus using a fire escape hood. A man left the property before firefighters arrived. They were left in the care of London Ambulance Service crews suffering from smoke inhalation.
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’s Control Officers took five calls to the fire and gave vital fire survival guidance to those inside the building on how to stay safe before firefighters arrived.
The Brigade was called at 2007 and the fire was extinguished by 2058. Crews from Old Kent Road, Peckham, New Cross and Lambeth fire stations attended the scene.
The fire is being treated as accidental and is believed to have involved a tumble dryer.