A woman had a lucky escape after her ground floor flat caught fire in Ruislip .

Firefighters were called to the blaze on Queen’s Walk in Ruislip on Monday (December 21) morning.

The fire damaged a utility room in the ground floor flat and a woman escaped the property before the Brigade arrived. She was treated on the scene by London Ambulance Service for smoke inhalation.

London Fire Brigade’s Borough Commander for Hillingdon , Richard Claydon, thought the fire "could have been even worse" if it wasn't for the fire safety precautions the occupier had taken.

He said: “Having a fire is traumatic for anyone and our thoughts are with the lady affected by this incident.

"Thankfully she had a smoke alarm and was alerted to the fire by it sounding.

"It's essential that you have at least one smoke alarm on every level of your home and that you test it regularly as they can buy you vital seconds to escape.

Mr Claydon explained how the fire was limited in this case.

He continued: “In addition, the door to the flat's utility room was closed which helped to contain the fire to the room it started in.

"In the event of a fire you should always close doors behind you to slow down the spread of fire and smoke.”

The Brigade was called at 1043 and the fire was under control by 1204. Two fire engines and around 10 firefighters from Northolt fire station attended the incident.

The cause if the fire is under investigation.

The closed door helped to contain the fire