More than 300 people flee their homes in Peckham fire


About 310 people have been forced to leave their homes after a fire broke out in south London.

More than 180 firefighters are tackling the fire, which engulfed the whole of a construction site in Carisbrooke Gardens in Peckham at about 0430 GMT.

It has since spread to two blocks of maisonettes and a pub.

Four people, including one police officer, have been taken to hospital suffering from minor injuries and smoke inhalation.

A London Fire Brigade spokesman said the fire appeared to have "spread very rapidly" and gas cylinders may be involved.

A local resident, identified only as Elizabeth, was one of those who had to leave her home.

I was scared and I had to take some of my stuff and come and stand out in the cold.

She told BBC London 94.9FM: "We just woke up into this total blaze from the construction site across the road and we were told to leave.

"The whole place was in pandemonium.

"There was flying debris all over the place and there were cars ablaze and we were told to get out of the area."

John Osagie, 31, said he saw the fire when he came back from work in the early hours.

He said: "I stood there and waited for the fire brigade to turn up. They tried to stop it but it was getting worse and worse. Then they evacuated everybody.

"I was scared and I had to take some of my stuff and come and stand out in the cold."

More than 180 firefighters are tackling the fire in Peckham

He said he did not know whether his home had been damaged.

The fire has damaged property and buildings in Sumner Road and Rosemary Road.

Ambulances are on standby, but there are no reports of other casualties.

Roads in the area have been closed.

All the residents are being housed in temporary accommodation provided by Southwark Council.

The cause of the fire is not known at this stage.

It comes nearly five months after six people died when a fire destroyed the Lakanal House block of flats in nearby Camberwell.

Harriet Harman, the Labour MP for Camberwell and Peckham, said the same emergency services workers who tackled that fire were dealing with Thursday's incident.

Ms Harman said: "They were thinking 'no, not again', but I think we're really hopeful that there are no fatalities, that's our first concern, and our second is to help people who are in a state of shock.

"We have to make sure that people are rehoused and they are helped to just get on with their lives."

I can't believe this has happened again, in the area I grew up in. I hope no-one dies, and whoever's responsible bought to book.