Woman and child taken to hospital after flat fire

A woman and a child were taken to hospital after a fire ripped through a mixed-use building this morning.

Six fire engines and about 40 firefighters tackled the blaze at a semi-detached house converted into an office and flats in Woodside Road, Sidcup.

The fire burnt through part of the first floor and the roof. Three people escaped the building before the London Fire Brigade (LFB) arrived. 

A woman and a child were taken to hospital by London Ambulance Service crews after suffering from smoke inhalation. A man was also treated on the scene.

The LFB was called at around 7.30am and the fire was under control by around 9am. 

Fire crews from Sidcup, Eltham, Bexley, Bromley, Plumstead and surrounding fire stations attended the scene.

Station Commander Stephen Irvine said: “One of the brigade’s new command units was used at the scene for the first time.

“The deployable camera, carried on each command unit, was used to stream imagery back to incident commanders, enhancing situational awareness.”

Command units are converted single-decker buses which contain a large working area, computers and communications equipment. 

They are sent to incidents where extra command support is required and are designed to pass information across the incident ground and to those monitoring remotely.

 A spokesman for the LFB said: “The cause of the fire is under investigation.” 

Pictured top: LFB communications equipment at the scene (Picture: LFB)