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One person hospitalised after being rescued from blaze in block of flats – South London News
One person remains in hospital after being rescued by firefighters from a blaze in a block of flats this morning.
Four fire engines and around 25 firefighters attended the fire in Hevelius Close, Greenwich.
Part of a flat and a corridor on the second floor of a three-storey residential block were damaged by flames and smoke.
Firefighters used fire escape hoods to rescue three people from the blaze, leading them through an internal staircase.
One person was taken to hospital as a precaution to be treated for smoke inhalation.
London firefighters were among the first in the UK to carry fire escape hoods when they were introduced in 2018 as part of improvements following the Grenfell Tower fire.
The hoods provide members of the public with up to 15 minutes protection from four of the main fire gases – carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide, hydrogen chloride and acrolein – and can be worn by conscious or unconscious people.
If more than 15 minutes protection is required then another hood can be given to each wearer.
A London Fire Brigade (LFB) spokesman said: “Thanks to working smoke alarms, residents at this building were quickly alerted to a fire occurring.
“This enabled firefighters to arrive promptly on scene and rescue three people, using our fire escape hoods to protect them from the smoke that had travelled into the communal areas.
“This incident shows just how important it is to have working smoke alarms fitted on every level of your home.
“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.”
LFB crews from East Greenwich, Greenwich and Deptford fire stations were called to the scene at around 5am.
The cause of the fire is under investigation by the LFB and the Met Police.
(Picture: LFB)