A woman and two children trapped in their second-floor Colindale flat as a blaze tore through a restaurant below were rescued by firefighters via a ladder.
Six fire engines and 35 firefighters were called to the second floor flat in Edgware Road around 10.45pm last night.
A London Fire Brigade spokesman said: “The fire started in a restaurant’s ducting system. It is believed that hot fat and grease in the ducting caught fire and as the ducting ran the length of the building, the fire was able to spread.”
Fire crews said the flat did not have a working smoke alarm and the woman was only alerted to the fire when she smelt smoke but by this point she was trapped.
An LFB spokesman said: “If the resident hadn’t noticed the smell of smoke, or this fire happened a couple hours later when everyone was asleep, this incident could have had a very different outcome.
“Smoke alarms are a vital early warning sign from danger.
“Ideal spots for smoke alarms include rooms where you leave electrical equipment running like satellite boxes, computers or heaters; any room where you smoke, and anywhere you charge your mobile or laptop.
“As a minimum you should have smoke alarms on every floor - in the hallways and the rooms you use the most, plus a heat alarm in the kitchen. They should be linked together and tested regularly.”
The blaze damaged part of the ground, first floors and stairs in the block.
He added it was a “timely reminder” for food outlets as the fire spread via the restaurant’s ducting. He said:
“This incident also serves as a timely reminder to all restaurant and take-away owners to always take care to make sure their extraction systems are kept clean as a buildup of fat and grease within the filters can lead to a fire.”
The Brigade was called at 10.44pm and the fire was under control by 1.34am
Crews from Hendon, Mill Hill, Stanmore and West Hampstead attended.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here