Around 60 firefighters tackled a blaze which spread between terraced houses in Forest Hill yesterday morning, causing huge damage to three properties.

The entire first floor and roof of the mid-terraced house from which the fire originated was destroyed, along with half the first floor and roof of an adjoining property, with the house on the opposite side sustaining similar damage.

Four people evacuated the houses on Melford Road shortly after 7am, before emergency services arrived, with one woman receiving treatment from an ambulance.

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A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: “There were smoke alarms in this property, but they failed to alert the residents to the fire.

"We urge people to have working smoke alarms on every level of your home and to test them regularly. Smoke alarms will give the earliest possible warning if a fire breaks out in your home.

"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 and the bathroom. They should be tested regularly."

Fire crews from West Norwood, New Cross, Peckham, Norbury and surrounding stations brought incident under control by 9.15am.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, although it is believed the cause of the fire was accidental and due to combustible materials being placed too close to a heat source.