FIREFIGHTERS were called to a house fire in Beckenham where it was feared a baby was trapped inside.

Four crews from Beckenham, West Norwood, Woodside and Forest Hill were called to the three-storey home in Mackenzie Road at around 12.30pm today (April 28).

Just one person was inside the house at the time and was not injured by the fire.

The homeowner found out about the fire when she came back home.

The fire broke out on the first floor of the house and took firefighters about half an hour to put it out.

The cause of the blaze is currently under investigation and is not being treated as suspicious.

Carpenter Jake Weeks, who was working on a loft conversion in the house opposite at the time of the fire, says he feared there was a baby upstairs.

The 21-year-old said: "I was working away when I smelt burning, then I looked up and saw smoke.

"I knocked on the door and a kid answered and he said there was a baby in the loft.

"I tried to go upstairs but it was so hot and then the window blew out."

He added: "We thought there was a baby in the loft.

"It was really lucky.

"I nearly broke down when I thought a baby was up there."

Mr Weeks heaped praise on the fire brigade.

He said: "The response of the fire brigade was brilliant.

"It took them about three minutes to get here."

A member of staff from Voltamp Limited, an electrical company in Mackenzie Road, said: "There were lots of flames billowing tonnes of black smoke coming out of the window.

"It was pretty scary."

A spokesman for Beckenham fire station said: "When we turned up we were told a young lady and baby were in there, so we went in and searched the place to make sure they weren't there.

"If a working smoke alarm had been in position it would have alerted the occupier earlier."

He added that local fire stations do free home fire risk assessments and can provide smoke alarms for households.