Flames filled five or six gardens in a blaze seen a mile away before setting light to a house.

Wandsworth Times:

From afar: Smoke rose above Battersea Credit: Kate Saunders

Four crews and 21 firefighters from Battersea, Clapham, Wandsworth and Chelsea were called to Dunston Road, Battersea, at 7.15pm, yesterday.

A shed and gardens caught light, possibly due to an unattended barbecue the owner lit and left briefly to go inside.

The fire is thought to have started after the owner left the lit barbecue briefly to go inside.

Station Manager Gareth Cook, who was at the fire, said: "The owner momentarily left the barbecue to go inside and get the meat and when he came back out the fire had spread and his garden was alight.

"Always make sure you are fully prepared before you light the barbecue so you don’t have to leave it unattended, fortunately on this occasion no one was injured."

A Battersea fire station spokesman said: "You could see the smoke from the bottom of Lavender Hill, about a mile away."

Houses werfe evacuated and no injuries were reported.

The crews fought the fire for two-and-a-half hours before it was under control.