A mother and her partner were forced to flee after flames engulfed their flat just before midnight on Sunday (28).
The couple narrowly escaped from the burning flat in Mansell Road, Acton, and the woman's two daughters returned home later to find smoke and fire billowing from the windows.
Four fire crews from across the borough battled into the early hours of the morning to extinguish the severe fire, which had spread into the front and back garden.
Neighbour MH Bakri, who lives below the gutted flat, said he was awoken by police banging on his door and his children were frightened when they saw the fire.
The pensioner, who lives in the flat with his wife and five children, said: "We were woken just before midnight and were told to leave the flat.
"We saw high flames around the flat and when the glass exploded, it sounded like a bomb going off.
"We were so shocked and the kids were so frightened as they had never seen a fire before but we were all lucky to escape.
"Ealing fire brigade responded quickly but they don't know what started the fire."
The 71-year-old said the fire was put out at about 3.30am but water from the flat above flooded his kitchen and his electricity was cut out.
Several surrounding roads to the flat in Berkeley House were cordoned off but re-opened hours later.
Four crews from Acton and Ealing fought the flames for four hours and a spokesman urged people to get smoke alarms and check them regularly.
