Six people needed hospital treatment after a fire broke out in a terraced house.

Firefighters were called to the blaze in Earlsfield Road, Earlsfield, just before 9pm last night.

The house is split into two flats, with the fire starting in the ground floor.

It is believed to have been caused by unattended candles left in a bedroom, with the room completely damaged by the fire.

Four adults and two children were taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation.

A fire investigation team discovered the property was fitted with smoke alarms, but they had no batteries.

Firefighters issued a warning to check alarms have working batteries.

Watch manager Andy Wildsmith said: "Smoke alarms are really worth having but they won’t help unless they are working, so make sure you test them regularly and replace any batteries immediately.

"Most smoke alarms will start beeping to warn you if the batteries are getting low.

"We believe the couple in the affected flat tried to fight the fire themselves with buckets of water.

"Trying to fight a fire yourself is very dangerous and can lead to the fire getting bigger.

"We always recommend you get out, stay out, and dial 999, as we have the proper equipment and training to put a fire out safely."