A woman and her next-door neighbours escaped unharmed after a fire ripped through her house in Downham on Sunday morning.

Firefighters were called to the mid-terraced house on Old Bromley Road at around 10.15pm after a smoke detector alerted the woman and her neighbours to a blaze in her front room.

The fire damaged half the ground floor and part of the first floor of the house.

Watch Manager James French, who was at the scene, said: “The fire was fully developed when crews arrived and firefighters did well to bring it under control quickly.

“The smoke alarm did its job and warned the resident and her neighbours that a fire had broken out.

“It is vital that you have at least one smoke alarm on every level of your home and test it regularly, as it gives you early warning in the event of a fire in your home.”

Four fire engines and 21 firefighters arrived to tackle the flames at around 10.15am and had the fire under control 45 minutes later.

Fire crews from Bromley, Forest Hill, Beckenham and Lewisham attended.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

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