A woman and two children were rushed to hospital following a fierce flat fire that tore through a residential block in Sydenham late on Monday night, February 24, prompting a major emergency response.
The blaze broke out around 10:10pm on Mountacre Close, near Sydenham Hill. The fire gutted half of a ground-floor storage room, sending thick smoke billowing through the building and trapping residents inside.
Four fire engines and about 25 firefighters from Forest Hill, West Norwood, Beckenham, and Woodside stations responded swiftly to the scene. The London Fire Brigade (LFB) battled the fire for over two hours, finally extinguishing the flames by 12:31am.
LFB crews rescued nine people, including four children, from the smoke-filled flats. Paramedics from the London Ambulance Service treated all evacuees on site, but a woman and two children suffered smoke inhalation and were taken to hospital. Their injuries are not considered life-threatening.
Residents on the first floor first noticed the danger after hearing crackling sounds at the rear of the building. With smoke filling the stairwell, they called 999 and remained in their flats until firefighters arrived.
LFB Control Officers received six emergency calls and provided life-saving advice to those trapped in two flats.
Firefighters used specialist escape hoods to lead the trapped residents to safety. These hoods, introduced by the LFB in 2018 following the Grenfell Tower disaster, offer up to 15 minutes of protection against deadly fire gases such as carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide.
“The hoods offer vital protection in smoke-filled environments, giving firefighters more time to rescue residents and increasing survival chances in dangerous situations,” said a London Fire Brigade spokesperson.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the London Fire Brigade and the Metropolitan Police Service. Authorities praised the quick thinking of residents and the rapid emergency response for preventing more serious injuries.
Firefighters remind everyone to ensure they have working smoke alarms and to know their evacuation plans. Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact the London Fire Brigade or the Metropolitan Police Service.
Originally published by UKNIP.
