Homes evacuated during Tolworth flat fire (From Surrey Comet)

Homes evacuated during Tolworth flat fire

1:50pm Tuesday 14th February 2012 in News By Tom Barnes

Homes were evacuated and families moved as firefighters battled billowing smoke and flames at a Tolworth flat.

Six fire engines and about 30 firefighters were called to a four bedroom property above Pound Value on Tolworth Broadway, near Surbiton, at 4.50pm on Sunday, February 2.

Gordon Finlayson was at home with his son, daughter and her husband when his neighbour warned him about the blaze next door.

Once outside he led his family to a safe distance from fire and smoke raging just yards flat from his front door.

Mr Finlayson said: "We got a knock on the door about five o’clock from their neighbour on the other side to say that next door was on fire.

"We got a safe distance from as it was very close to our front door. Firefighters were on the scene pretty quickly.

"The thing that struck me was that they the fire investigation team were on the scene while the fire was still being put out.

"We were away from it pretty soon after it started so it was not too scary but am glad I got the knock on the door."

Mr Finlayson said firefighters were checking his loft for nearly an hour to make sure the fire had not spread.

The empty flat, said by neighbours to have been used as a stock room, is owned by the same people who run the Pound Value shop.

Tolworth Broadway closed for nearly two and half hours as firefighters from Kingston, Surbiton and New Malden battled the blaze.

No injuries have been reported and police have confirmed the fire was not suspicious.

London Fire Brigade said the fire badly damaged 60 percent of the third floor flat.

A woman was checked over for smoke inhalation at the scene, according to London Ambulance.