Four fire engines and around 25 firefighters tackled a fire at a block of flats on Temeraire Place in Brentford.
Half of a second floor flat was damaged by the fire. Five people left the building before the Brigade arrived and were taken to hospital by London Ambulance Service. An additional three people were rescued from the building by firefighters using a ladder and a fourth person was led to safety via an internal staircase using a fire escape hood.
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.
Control Officers took the first of eight calls regarding the fire at 2311 and mobilised crews from Chiswick, Acton, Richmond and Heston fire stations to the scene.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.