An investigation has been launched after a fire broke out at a second floor flat in Kentish Town this morning, leaving one tenant temporarily homeless.
The fire brigade was called to a one-bedroom flat in a converted house in Gaisford Street at 8.40am.
A team of 25 firefighters and four fire engines from Kentish Town and Holloway attended the blaze which was brought under control by 9.47am.
One crew is still at the scene to dampen down remaining hot spots.
No one was in the flat at the time and the cause of the fire is not yet known.
Kentish Town Fire Station manager, Daniel Alie, said: “We were called at 8.40am to a fire at a property in Gaisford Street. Crews arrived moments later and were met with smoke billowing from the second floor flat.
“Crews wearing breathing apparatus forced the door open and found a fire in the rear bedroom.
“They worked quickly to extinguish the flames while the rest of the crews searched the rest of the property and the flat below and found nobody at home. There was one tenant in the ground floor flat who was already outside.
“Fortunately the fire was contained to the back bedroom but the rest of the property has been damaged by smoke.
“We have launched an investigation and as soon as we have further information we can advise the Fire Authority.”
Jane Turner, who lives in the ground floor flat, said she was alerted to the fire by her neighbour who heard a bang and saw the smoke.
“I was getting up out of bed when I heard banging on my door,” she said. “My neighbour was there and said ‘there’s a fire upstairs, you’d better get out’.
“I haven’t been back in my flat but I don’t think anything’s damaged.
“But if it wasn’t for my neighbour I don’t think anyone would have noticed.”
All four flats in the building are owned by Camden Council.
A spokeswoman for the local authority said it would be organising temporary accommodation for the tenant in the second floor flat.
A man in his 30s, who was not in the building and was not linked to the fire, was taken unwell when an ambulance crew was at the scene.
He was taken to the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead.
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