One man escaped out of a first floor window then went back to rescue people after a house fire in Catford.

A man and three women managed to flee with minor injuries after a house went up in flames in Elmer Road around 10.30pm on Friday (August 29).

One man climbed out of a first floor window, then used a ladder from the garden to rescue one of the three women left inside.

MORE TOP STORIES One of the other women also escaped via the ladder, and the third managed to get out through the front door.

The women suffered smoke inhalation while the man cut his arm in the escape.

The London Ambulance Service (LAS) sent a hazardous area response team and two ambulances and took one person to Lewisham Hospital

The LFB stressed the importance of fire alarms after they alerted the occupants to the danger.

A spokesman for LFB said: “It’s vital that you have a working smoke alarm on each level of your home and check them regularly as they can buy you vital seconds to escape in the event of a fire like this one.”

The ground floor was damaged by the blaze which four fire engines and 20 fire fighters battled for an hour.

The cause of the fire is under investigation by the LFB and the police.

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