A former speaker of the House of Commons has warned over the dangers of electric fan heaters after she was treated for smoke inhalation following a fire at her home.
Baroness Boothroyd discovered flames in her kitchen last Monday evening and called the fire brigade.
Two fire engines and around 10 firefighters and officers from Lambeth and Chelsea Fire Stations attended.
They arrived shortly before 7pm and the blaze was under control within around 30 minutes.
She was treated for smoke inhalation by the London Ambulance Service outside the building, but did not require hospital treatment.
The Rt Hon. Baroness Boothroyd OM said: "“I am sharing my story to raise awareness of how dangerous portable electric fan heaters can be.
"Never leave them unattended and ensure they are not too close to clothes, curtains or furniture.”
Charlie Pugsley, the London Fire Brigade's head of fire investigation said: "This incident is a timely reminder that portable electric heaters can be very dangerous and great care should be taken if they are left unattended or left on while you are asleep.
“Shockingly, a third of fatal electrical fires involve heaters and there have been 10 deaths in the last five winters. In this case, the likely cause is the heater over heating and catching fire."
