Six fire engines and around 40 firefighters tackled a flat fire on Hullbridge Mews in Islington.
Half of a ground-floor flat, part of a second-floor flat and half of the roof of the building were damaged by fire. The blaze also damaged part of the external fascia and a shed. A man left the property before the Brigade arrived and was taken to hospital. Firefighters used fire escape hoods to lead a woman and a child to safety, while four other men left the building uninjured.
London firefighters were among the first in the UK to carry fire escape hoods when they were introduced in 2018 as part of improvements following the Grenfell Tower fire. The 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 the first of nine calls to the fire at 2228 and mobilised crews from Shoreditch, Soho, Holloway, Euston and Stoke Newington fire stations to the scene. The fire was under control by 0011.
The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Brigade and the Metropolitan Police Service.