Residents of Ham Close have spoken about the flat fire which led to the death of a man in Richmond on Saturday.
A man was pronounced dead at the scene while two women and a child had to be rescued from the fourth floor of Field House.
A long-standing resident first became aware of the incident after receiving a call whilst driving home and spoke of the distressing scene that greeted her as she drove into the car park next to the block of flats.
She said: “The neighbours were scared, you could see them at the windows. It was just mad. I had everyone in and out of my car, I still have foil in there as I was keeping them warm.
“It just all happened so quick. I think the shock of it was from smelling the smoke to just seeing how quick it spread. The smoke was spreading throughout the block, which was quite scary.
“It could have been a lot worse as there were a lot of children in the block, but it’s still really sad.”
The London Fire Brigade (LFB) said it was called at 21:46 GMT on 4th February.
The blaze was under control by midnight with around 25 firefighters from Kingston, Surbiton and Chiswick stations being called.
The Field House resident praised the application that the services showed when dealing with the blaze.
She said: “The fire brigade were absolutely wonderful. Everyone on site was incredible, they were quick, efficient.
“It’s not until you see them in action that you actually appreciate the job that they do.”
A further two men and a woman from the third flat were brought to safety.
The actual cause of the fire in Richmond is still unclear and an investigation is underway.
