THE London Fire Brigade (LFB) has issued a warning after a fire in south London was caused by a barbecue.
About 60 firefighters were called to the blaze on Wednesday at a block of flats on Whitehorse Road in Croydon.
Investigators believed the fire was caused by a barbecue on a balcony.
LFB Assistant Commissioner Pat Goulbourne said: “Balconies can contain combustible materials that can pose a threat to safety… as we have just seen in Croydon.”
About 80 people were evacuated from the flats after the flames spread through three floors at about 17:00 BST.
A witness reported seeing adults and children running from the five-storey building and paramedics treated one man and one woman at the scene.
The brigade said barbecues should also never be used indoors or on balconies.
It comes as firefighters urged Londoners to act safely and responsibly during the hot weather.
The first heat health alert of the year was issued amid predictions that temperatures could reach 30C in the capital.
Mr Goulbourne urged people to not take disposable barbecues to London’s parks.
“Last year, we saw how unpredictable grass fires can be and how quickly they can spread causing a significant amount of damage,” he said.
The heat can be retained in disposable barbecues for many hours after the fire has been put out, the LFB said.