Four fire engines and around 25 firefighters attended a house fire on Fleetwood Road in Dollis Hill.
The first-floor of a mid-terraced house was destroyed by fire, along with part of the ground floor. One woman and three children were treated by London Ambulance Service at the scene as a precaution.
The fire is being treated as accidental and believed to have been caused by an unattended candle.
A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: "Candles are one of the most common causes of fires in the home and you should be careful when using them.
"This is a timely reminder to never leave candles unattended and keep them away from anything that could catch fire such as curtains, furniture or clothes.
"We recommend swapping traditional candles for LED flameless ones as they are much safer, but if you do use real candles, follow our simple safety tips.
“Firefighters recommend that you have a look at our online Home Fire Safety Checker to make sure there are no hidden hazards in your home.
“The online tool will ask you a series of questions that will help us work out the level of risk in your home, or the home of someone you care for. It only takes a few minutes to get tailored advice to keep yourself and loved ones safe from fire.”
The Brigade received the first of five calls at 1417 and Control Officers mobilised crews from West Hampstead, Park Royal and North Kensington fire stations to the scene. The fire was extinguished by 1529.
Candle safety tips
- Make sure you put out any candles, incense and oil burners when you leave the room and especially before bed.
- These items should always be held firmly in heat-resistant holders and placed on a stable surface where they won’t be knocked over.
- Keep them away from materials that might catch fire – that's things like curtains, furniture, clothes and hair.
- Be aware that tea lights get very hot and without proper holders can melt through plastic surfaces like a TV or bath
- To avoid accidents keep candles and other naked flames out of reach of children and pets
