A child and two adults were taken to hospital after a house fire in Upper Norwood this morning.
The three fled the blaze, which damaged their ground-floor living room and is thought to have been sparked by a discarded cigarette, in Grecian Crescent just after 2.15am.
Firefighters said the family, who were treated by London Ambulance Service and taken to hospital as a precaution, had a lucky escape.
The house had a smoke alarm but no battery fitted.
London Fire Brigade were called at 2.19am and had the flames under control by 2.54am.
A spokeswoman said: "This family were lucky to escape the fire as they did not have a working smoke alarm in the property.
"We recommend having a working smoke alarm on each level of your home and testing it regularly.
"Smoke alarms save lives as they give you an early warning and buy you precious seconds to escape if a fire does break out.”
Got a story? Call the newsdesk on 020 8722 6351 or email newsdesk@croydonguardian.co.uk
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article