Balcony damaged by fire on Childers Street, Deptford
By melissa kasule
More than 100 people were evacuated from a tower block which caught fire after a smouldering barbecue set light to a balcony.
A total of 80 firefighters in 12 crews rushed to the blaze at flats on Childers Street, Deptford at 7:26 pm on May 20, after the embers were disposed of in a plastic bag, left on the balcony.
Residents were evacuated from the smoke-clogged fifth floor of the building by firefighters.
Around half of the residents are likely to be permanently displaced and are being rehoused by the local housing association, London Fire Brigade say.
Organiser of a GoFundMe fundraiser for the affected families said: “Lots of residents had to leave in their pj’s and slippers, they need clothes, phone chargers, and a little help right now.”
Damage was caused to most of the roof of the building and part of the roof of the adjoining block.
Labour Councillor Paul Bell for Telegraph Hill in Lewisham and cabinet member for housing said: “Residents are currently in the Scout Hut in Evelyn Street. The council is supporting the housing association to keep people safe and provide shelter and we have deployed staff on site.”
Station Commander Emma Carr, who was at the scene, said: “Two people left the affected flat and firefighters evacuated the rest of the block as a precaution due to the amount of smoke.
“This was a challenging incident due to the fire being in a roof hatch and firefighters worked hard to bring it under control.”
Aerial ladder platforms were used to tackle the blaze on the roof from height but it was more than four hours before crews said it was under control, at 12:05 am.
London Fire Brigade advised to follow these balcony safety tips to keep safe:
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Never barbecue on your balcony. Embers could carry and set light to your or your neighbours’ balcony and possessions.
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It’s better not to smoke at all, but if you do always ensure your cigarette is properly put out and never throw it over the side. It could catch light to possessions on a balcony below or next to yours.
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Try not to store combustible items on your balcony as they could catch light.
There have been more than 550 balcony fires across London in the last three years.
The GoFundMe page for the affected families and residents from the block of flats can be found here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/
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