Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus managed to save a smoke-filled home this morning thanks to the rapid response by Epsom’s fire teams.

Epsom's two fire engines rushed to a terrace house, in Royal Drive, Epsom, at 9.12am after an immersion heater set fire to clothes in an airing cupboard.

A woman living in the house, alerted by the smoke alarm, fled the building and raised the alarm.

By the time the firefighters got there the heat inside was so intense it had melted the smoke alarm and the pictures on the walls.

The whole top floor was full of smoke but firefighters managed to stop the fire spreading to the loft.

Crew manager Chris Wasson, who was part of the second breathing apparatus team to go in, said he and another firefighter helped to ventilate the smoke-filled area while another team of two tackled the fire.

He said: "You couldn’t see your hand in front of your face. The whole top floor was damaged by smoke down to the waist level.

"But we got the fire under control really quickly and stopped it spreading to the roof."

Epsom's two fire engines got to the house in just five minutes.

Crew manager Russell Giles said the damage could have been much worse if there had been a delay in the arrival of the second fire engine - something that would have been inevitable if Epsom's second engine is moved to Burgh Heath as is currently being considered.

He explained that a team of firefighters is not supposed to go in to tackle a house fire without a back-up team from another fire engine.

Mr Giles said: "If two engines turn up together we can use the teams together.

"We can do a lot in the first five minutes.

"If there had been a delay in fire fighting there would have been more damage for the unfortunate lady."

* A rally opposing Surrey Fire and Rescue's plans to remove one fire engine from Epsom will be held at 11am on Saturday, January 19, outside Epsom fire station, in Church Street, Epsom. All are welcome.

The SFRS consultation ends on February 1.

To have your say on the plans complete the online questionnaire at surrey-fire.gov.uk/psp; email comments to psp@surreycc.gov.uk; write to: Public Safety Plan Team, Surrey Fire and Rescue Service, Croydon Road, Reigate, Surrey, RH2 0EJ; call 03456 009009