A blaze at a house in Colindale, where there was no smoke alarm fitted, is believed to have been caused by paper coming into contact with a gas hob.
Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus rescued a woman from the ground floor of the property in Colin Crescent. She was treated at the scene and taken to hospital by London Ambulance Service crews suffering smoke inhalation.
Half of the ground floor of the terraced house was destroyed by the blaze.
A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: “This incident shows just how important it is to have smoke alarms fitted.
“Smoke and heat alarms give the earliest possible warning and can give you precious time to get out. It’s important to have one fitted in any room of your home where a fire may start, except the kitchen and bathroom where you should fit a heat alarm.
“Smoke alarms save lives.”
• Don't just fit a smoke alarm in your hall and landing – also fit them in any room where a fire can start. For example, any room where you smoke or leave appliances plugged in.
• Smoke alarms are not suitable for kitchens but heat alarms are. Fitting a heat alarm in your kitchen will give you warning of an increase in temperature caused by a fire but will not be set off by cooking fumes.
• Some battery or mains alarms can be interlinked, so that when one alarm detects a fire they all go off together, giving you warning wherever you are in your home. This is particularly important where a person has any issues that may prevent or delay their escape to ensure they are alerted to a fire as soon as possible.
• If you choose to have a mains-powered alarm, make sure it's installed by a qualified electrician.
• It's also possible to fit extra automatic 'fire suppression' systems at home – that's things like sprinklers. These are a great idea if there's anything that might prevent you escaping quickly.
The Brigade was called at 0822 and the fire was under control by 0939. Fire engines from Hendon, Mill Hill and Stanmore fire stations attended the scene.