Five people got out of a converted house on Green Lane, North Cheam, before 25 firefighters arrived at 3.21am on Tuesday. No injuries; the cause is under investigation.

Five people got out of a house converted into flats on Green Lane, North Cheam, before firefighters arrived in the early hours of Tuesday. Nobody was reported injured.

London Fire Brigade sent four fire engines and about 25 firefighters. Half of the ground floor of the two-storey end-of-terrace building was damaged. Part of a vehicle on the driveway was damaged too (London Fire Brigade).

The Brigade and the Metropolitan Police are investigating the cause. Neither has said anything more about it.

What happened, and when

The Brigade’s account gives this sequence:

  • 3.21am: the Control Room took the first of three calls about the fire
  • crews came from Sutton, Wimbledon and New Malden fire stations, with others from surrounding stations
  • the five people living there had already left the building when the first crews arrived
  • 4.40am: the fire was under control, about an hour and 20 minutes after the first call

The Brigade has not given the house number, and we have not published it.

What it means for you

The Brigade’s report links to its advice for people living in houses and converted flats, which is the type of building involved here. Its three steps are to get out, stay out and call 999 once you are safe.

Its other advice includes:

  • plan a second way out in case the usual route is blocked, and practise both
  • keep door and window keys where everyone in the home can find them
  • never assume a smoke alarm is a false alarm, and shout “fire” to alert others
  • close doors behind you to slow the spread of smoke and fire
  • never go back inside once you are out

The Brigade also runs an online home fire safety checker that takes a few minutes. Anyone who would struggle to get out quickly in an emergency can also ask for a free home fire safety visit.

If you let out a flat, the Brigade sets out what landlords are responsible for, including at least one smoke alarm on every floor and fire doors that protect the escape route.

We will update this story if the Brigade or the Met publish what caused the fire.