Four saved from late-night Brixton flat fire

Firefighters rescued four people from a flat fire on Acre Lane in Brixton that damaged part of a ground-floor hallway.

Firefighters rescued a man from the second floor using a nine-metre ladder. Two further men and a woman were rescued via an internal staircase using fire escape hoods. They were all taken to hospital by London Ambulance Service crews.

The Brigade was called shortly before midnight on Saturday and the fire was under control by around 1.30am. Four fire engines and around 25 firefighters from Brixton, Clapham and Peckham fire stations attended the scene.

The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Brigade and the Metropolitan Police Service.

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. They do not provide oxygen but temporarily filter toxic smoke to make breathing easier.

Pictured top: The scene at Acre Lane (Picture: LFB)