A fire broke out at a takeaway restaurant on Deptford Hight Street last night, with the blaze causing damage to the ground floor of the shop.

Four fire engines and around 25 firefighters from London Fire Brigade were called to the Pizza and Kebab House at 11:21pm on Tuesday, March 24 after a member of staff raised the alarm.

Staff at the takeaway shop, which also has several flats above it, were reportedly cleaning a charcoal grill when material caught alight.

The fire then spread through the extraction system which was full of heavy grease.

A member of staff and three people from the above flats escaped the building before firefighters arrived, and the fire was under control by 12:27am.

There were no reports of any injuries, but part of the ground floor of the takeaway was damaged in the blaze.

A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: “We'd like to remind restaurant and takeaway owners to make sure they don't have dirty ducting.

"If you don't clean your extraction system regularly, you're at a greater risk of ducting fires.”

Firefighters' top tips for restaurants and takeaways:

  • Have ducting in your extraction system (ventilation) cleaned regularly
  • Ensure ducting is installed correctly
  • Make sure all electrical items are tested and maintained- check regularly and don’t allow employees to bring their own kitchen appliances to work
  • Ensure your electrical system is regularly tested
  • Complete your Fire Risk Assessment and make an emergency plan