Smoking materials blamed for fire that partially destroyed a flat in the residential block
Eight appliances and 60 firefighters from London Fire Brigade (LFB) were called upon to respond to a “very visible” flat fire at a block of flats in Hammersmith, London on the evening of 3 November 2024.
The fire had taken hold shortly before 6pm in a flat on the fifth floor of the seven-storey residential block on Amber Way, with emergency services arriving on the scene shortly after. Crews from Acton, Chiswick, Kensington, North Kensington, Paddington, Ealing, and Chelsea fire stations worked to extinguish the fire.
The blaze was contained to the flat of origin, which was partly destroyed, and was brought under control shortly before 7pm. No injuries were reported, although sadly two cats were trapped in the flat and died as a result of the fire.
In a statement after the incident, LFB confirmed that the fire “is being treated as accidental and is believed to have been caused by the unsafe disposal of smoking materials.”
A London Fire Brigade spokesperson added: "If you smoke it is vitally important you stub it right out, preferably in an ashtray.
"Always ensure your cigarette is completely out when you’ve finished smoking it. If you don’t, you risk causing a fire as you don’t know what it may land on which could potentially start a fire."
The LFB also re-issued their smoking safety top tips as a reminder of the fire risks surrounding smoking:
- It's safer to smoke outside, but make sure cigarettes are put right out and disposed of properly.
- Never smoke in bed, and avoid smoking on armchairs and sofas – especially if you think you might fall asleep.
- Take extra care when you’re tired, taking prescription drugs or if you’ve been drinking alcohol.
- Use proper ashtrays, which can’t tip over and stub cigarettes out properly.