Four children were among a group who escaped a house fire in Lewisham which saw a ‘black cloud’ of smoke engulf the street.

The London Fire Brigade (LFB) was called to a terraced house in Pascoe Road just after 8.30pm last night (July 31).

Four children and four adults escaped the blaze, which reportedly started in the kitchen, before the LFB arrived.

A spokesman for the LFB confirmed no one was injured. 

100 per cent of the conservatory, 10 per cent of the ground floor and 25 per cent of the first floor destroyed. 

MORE TOP STORIES Eye witness Alex Fudge, 36, who lives opposite, said: “I was in my living room when I could heard smoke alarms going off, which they do, but this was going on for a few minutes.

“I heard young girls screaming, not play screaming this was different.

“I went and looked out my window and saw this big cloud of smoke coming from the roof. The fire alarms had been going off for a few minutes and this fire had taken hold.

“A neighbour said the fire started in the kitchen, they said it was gutted. The smoke had gone through the whole house and was coming out the front window. There was no flames just smoke.”

The digital editor continued: “Everyone was out on the pavement, the fire brigade came straight away. I think an elderly couple lived in the house, they got out though they were fine. 

"When it comes to fire and houses they had a lucky escape, it was more smoke damage. You see adverts and read literature about testing smoke alarms, but it’s really only when it happens where you live that it shocks you; it happens so quickly.

“As much as losing possessions were gutting luckily there were no injuries.”

Mr Fudge added he did have smoke alarms but would be testing them again.

Station manager Jim Hewitt, who was at the scene, said: "Crews could see plumes of black smoke in the sky while en-route to this incident. They worked very hard to stop the fire spreading and bring it under control quickly, limiting the damage caused to the house."

Four fire engines and around 20 firefighters from Lewisham, Greenwich, Lea Green and Forest Hill fire stations attended the incident.