Six fire engines and around 40 firefighters were called to a fire at a care home on Osterley Park Road in Southall.

The fire damage was confined to a section of the ground floor room. Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus rescued a man. He was suffering from smoke inhalation and taken to hospital by London Ambulance Service.

There were no other reported injuries.

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The Fire Brigade received the call at 3:41 am on Monday, May 15, 2023, and the incident was resolved by 4:51 am. Fire crews from Southall, Heston, Hayes, Ealing, and Hillingdon stations were present at the site.

The fire is believed to have been caused by the unsafe use of smoking materials.

A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: "If you smoke, it's important to ensure your cigarette is disposed of carefully by stubbing it out, preferably in an ash tray."

"If you smoke before bed, make sure your cigarette is fully out and never leave your lit cigarette unattended. Carelessly discarded cigarettes can easily start fires."

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Aster Healthcare owns and operates four care homes for people who require accommodation, personal and nursing care. The Willows Nursing Home, situated at 31-35 Osterley Park Road in Southall, is one of these four care homes.

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London Fire Brigade's safety advice for smokers is to:

• Make sure you have smoke alarms fitted in every room you regularly use in your home including in the hallways
• Never smoke in bed
• Always ensure you stub out cigarettes properly and dispose of them carefully
• Keep matches and lighters out of children's reach
• Never leave lit cigarettes or cigars unattended
• Empty ashtrays carefully, ensuring all smoking materials are stubbed out and cold
• If you must smoke, do it outdoors