A woman was rescued from a flat fire in Sydenham last night (June 17) as 35 fire fighters battled the blaze for nearly two hours.

The fire had broken out in a five-room flat on High Level Drive at around 9.07pm.

Crews wearing breathing apparatus rescued the woman. A further three people left the building before the brigade arrived and, like the woman, were treated for smoke inhalation by the London Ambulance Service.

Fire crews from  Forest Hill, New Cross, Norbury, Orpington, and West Norwood had the incident under control by 10.55pm.

Watch manager Gary Bowler who attended the incident said: "Crews worked hard to bring the fire under control. 

"Incidents like these show the importance of being aware of your fire evacuation plans, particularly if you are in high rise or purpose built flats.

" Living in a flat is not more dangerous than living in a house, but it’s important to know that your fire plan should be different."

Visit knowtheplan.co.uk for details.