A flat suffered major smoke damage after a suspected fault with a fan sparked a fire.

Firefighters used breathing apparatus and thermal imaging cameras as they tackled the blaze at a house converted into flats in Charlotte Road, Wallington.

The middle-aged resident was out in Wallington when the fire, believed to have been started by an electric appliance, broke out at about 6pm yesterday, Friday, December 2.

The flat suffered an estimated 15 per cent fire damage.

Two fire crews from Wallington and Croydon were summoned after calls from neighbours who heard the smoke alarm in the communal hallway.

Wallington fire station white watch manager James Sims said: “The fire was quickly dealt with, restricting the damage to the room it was in.

“The whole of the studio flat was damaged by smoke.

“We got there quite quickly because of the location near the station.

“It was lucky it was at that time when everyone is awake and alert so the fire alarm got a response very quickly.”

No-one was injured.

He urged people to make sure they have working fire alarms, and said people should respond to neighbour’s fire alarms, and not assume they are simply burnt toast.