Firefighters are encouraging people to install smoke alarms after saving a family from a blaze which "could have been a lot worse" if no-one had been home.
Ten fire officers from Mitcham and Wimbledon fire stations were called to a house near the Baitul Futuh Mosque in Morden at about 10.30pm last night.
A Mitcham fire officer who attended the fire in Rosedene Avenue said it was caused by a wiring fault in a dimmer switch which started burning.
He said firefighters were able to extinguish the kitchen fire in just a few minutes, limiting damage to the property.
But he noted the property did not have a smoke alarm and said it could have been far more serious if no-one had been at home to notice the fire.
No-one was injured.
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