AROUND 30 residents have been evacuated from a sheltered accommodation on Gurnell Grove in West Ealing following a fire in the early hours of yesterday morning.

The fire brigade was called at 04:41 with four engines and 25 firefighters attending the scene and getting the blaze under control within an hour.

Part of a ground floor day room was damaged by the fire, but there were no reports of any injuries.

The investigators believe the flames were caused as a result of an unsafe cigarette disposal.

Firefighter Joe Franklin from Ealing Fire Station, who was at the scene, said: "A sofa was alight and the room was very heavily smoke logged on our arrival.

"Crews worked swiftly to tackle the blaze and contained it to the room of origin.

"Fortunately as it was a day room, there was no one in there at the time of the fire so there were no injuries.

"This incident shows just how important it is to ensure cigarettes and other smoking materials are extinguished properly.

"It's likely the cigarette had been smouldering throughout the night before eventually starting a fire."