Around 60 firefighters have tackled a major blaze which ripped through a two-storey detached house in Croydon during the early hours of Thursday morning.
London Fire Brigade was called to Addiscombe Road at 4.32am on Thursday, 17 September, following reports of a property on fire.
Eight fire engines and crews from Woodside, Croydon, Forest Hill, Beckenham and surrounding stations were sent to the scene.
At the height of the incident, the entire property was reported to be alight.
32-metre ladder and drone were deployed
Firefighters used one of the Brigade’s 32-metre turntable ladders as a water tower, allowing crews to tackle the flames from above.
The LFB Drone Team was also deployed, giving the incident commander an aerial view of the blaze and using thermal imaging equipment to identify hot spots.
Station Commander Tom Sharp said: “Firefighters worked hard to bring the fire under control as quickly as possible.”
The blaze was brought under control shortly before 7am.
Half of the ground and first floors of the derelict property were damaged by fire, while the roof was destroyed.
Road closed as investigation begins
Addiscombe Road remained closed in both directions between Outram Road and Fryston Avenue on Thursday morning while emergency services continued working at the scene.
Bus routes 119, 194, 198, 466 and SL5 were diverted as a result of the incident.
The cause of the fire is now under investigation by London Fire Brigade.
