A man had a lucky escape when he woke up in time to discover a fire had ripped through his kitchen in Kingston.

Around half of it, as well as the living room, was destroyed by the blaze as 25 firefighters rushed to the incident in the early hours.

He fled the property, in Burritt Road, before emergency services arrived while firefighters from Kingston, New Malden, and Surbiton tackled the blaze.

Now watch manager Mike Barker has issued a warning in hopes of preventing further occurrences.

London Fire Brigade watch manager Mike Barker said: “Thankfully, the man woke up and he was able to call us.

“It’s really easy to forget about pots and pans simmering away, especially in the evening, so this is a timely reminder to never leave your cooking unattended.

“The fire started in the kitchen and created a lot of thick black smoke, which can be very dangerous.

“We recommend heat alarms which are designed for us in the kitchen and go off when a certain temperature is reached.”

The London Fire Brigade was called shortly before 12.50am, on September 13, while the fire was deemed under control by 1.50am.

In addition to damage caused to the kitchen and living room, a small part of the balcony at the rear of the third floor flat was also damaged.

Mr Barker added: “Homes need multiple smoke alarms or you won’t be properly covered. Ideal spots for smoke alarms include rooms where you leave electrical equipment running like satellite boxes, computers, or heaters.

“Any room where you smoke, and anywhere you charge your mobile phone or laptop, except kitchens or bathrooms are where heat alarms are more appropriate.”