A smoke alarm alerted an elderly woman to a kitchen fire in Epsom last night and stopped it spreading.
The kitchen in Downs Lodge Court was destroyed by the fire and the walls of the hallway were damaged by smoke, a firefighter said, but because the crew was able to arrive so promptly the fire was mostly prevented from spreading.
The woman was treated for smoke inhalation, given a precautionary medical check, and rehomed for the evening, a spokesman said.
Having a functional smoke alarm saved her and allowed crews from Epsom and Banstead fire stations to respond to the fire quickly after she raised the alarm.
Crews from #epsom and Banstead are dealing with a kitchen fire on Church Street in Epsom
— Surrey Fire & Rescue (@SurreyFRS) 15 June 2017
A crew from Epsom fire station travelled 400 metres down the road from its Church Street base to Downs Lodge Court at about 10.13pm.
Four firefighters from the two stations wore breathing apparatus to protect them from the smoke as they used a hose reel and a jet to put out the blaze.
An investigation into the cause of the fire is being carried out.
Epsom fire station is holding an open day on Saturday, June 17 from 10.30am to 3pm.
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