Fire fighters led 40 people to safety from a blaze in a Nine Elms flat in the early hours of yesterday morning (June 16).
Four fire engines and 21 fire fighters from Clapham, Lambeth and Brixton dealt with the fire in Deeley Road, which took from 1am to 2.25am to get under control.
A flat on the third floor was badly damaged by the blaze, thought to be started by a candle left unattended.
One man was taken to hospital by the London Ambulance Service, and a woman and two men left the affected flat before the Fire Brigade arrived.
Watch manager Gary Melia said: “When firefighters arrived they saw smoke coming from the third floor and some people who were on their balconies unable to escape because of the smoke.
"The crews immediately tackled the fire and went knocking on the doors of the two upper floors to make sure everybody was alerted, and around 40 people were led to safety via internal staircase.”
He added: “Candles are one of the most common causes of fire. It’s really important that you never leave a candle unattended and keep them away from curtains and anything else that can easily catch fire.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here