A MAN woke up to find his kitchen and ground floor ablaze in Thornton Heath on Friday night.
The man in his 50s had put the oven on and then fallen asleep on the sofa in his Thornton Road home.
Fire crews sent two pumps and arrived at around 9.30pm and brought the fire under control and the man was treated by London Ambulance Service.
Tom Atkins, at Norbury Fire Station, reminded people of the importance of smoke alarms.
"It caught fire quite substantially and set alight the kitchen and some of the groundfloor," he said.
"Luckily he woke up and managed to escape the blaze and call 999.
"The gentleman did not have smoke alarms in the property. If he had, they could have alerted him sooner, limiting the damage."
Mr Atkins said they provide free smoke alarms and advice on fire safety.
For more information, visit your local fire station or www.london-fire.gov.uk
