Firefighters have issued a reminder of the importance of smoke alarms following a fire at a house on Parfrey Street in Hammersmith.
Fortunately one man smelt burning and woke his family to escape before the Brigade arrived.
Four fire engines and around 25 firefighters tackled the fire, which partially destroyed the ground floor flat in a terraced house. A pile of rubbish in the front garden was also completely destroyed in the blaze.
In total three people left the building before firefighters arrived. One woman and a toddler were treated on scene for smoke inhalation by London Ambulance Service.
The house where the fire occurred had no smoke detection fitted.
Leading Firefighter Dan Biniaz was at the scene, he said: "This incident shows just how important it is to have working smoke alarms fitted on every level of your home. This family were very lucky that one of the residents smelt smoke and woke up.
“Smoke alarms give the earliest possible warning when a fire starts and we would urge everyone to make sure they have one fitted in every room where a fire can start except kitchens or bathrooms where heat alarms are more appropriate.”
The Brigade’s 999 Control officers were first called at 0015 and deployed fire crews from Hammersmith, Fulham and Kensington fire stations. The incident was under control by 0121.
The cause of the fire is believed to be due to the unsafe disposal of smoking materials in the pile of rubbish in the front garden.