Dozens of people were evacuated after a fire in Paddington's Valentino restaurant on Sunday (June 26) evening.
One man who had been inside the dining establishment on Edgware Road suffered from smoke inhalation and was treated by paramedics from the London Ambulance Service, on Sunday (June 26) night.
Around 70 people were evacuated from the burning Middle Eastern restaurant, as well as neighbouring businesses and flats while around 35 firefighters dealt with the blaze.
The ground floor was badly damaged by fire and smoke, and the London Fire Brigade (LFB) is urging restaurant owners to keep their extraction systems clean in the aftermath of this incident.
Station manager Andy Walton who was at the scene said: “Police assisted five people from the restaurant and a further ten from neighbouring businesses before the arrival of the Brigade. A number of other people from the flats above the restaurant also left the building.
“Crews wearing breathing apparatus searched the building to find out exactly where within the extraction system the fire was located, and a turntable ladder ensured we could access the top of the system.”
Cause accidental
Six fire engines with crew were sent to the scene of the fire just after 5pm and the fire was under control just before 8.30pm.
The cause of the fire is believed to be accidental, due to cooking which spread through the ducting.
As a result, the ventilation system from the ground floor to the roof was also affected by the fire.
A LFB spokesperson said: “Restaurant and take-away owners should always take care to make sure their extraction systems are kept clean as a build up of fat and grease within the filters can lead to a fire.”
The Brigade was called at 5.07pm and the fire was under control by 8.26pm.
Fire crews from Euston, Paddington, Whitechapel, North Kensington and Kensington fire stations attended the scene.
Another safety warning from fire chiefs came last week following an incident in which a heavily pregnant woman was injured when a chip pan burst into flames at a home in Hounslow .
A few days later, a man was rushed to hospital with burns and 60 people evacuated after a fire broke out at mental health unit in Isleworth.
