London Fire Brigade believe a family of five who escaped from a blaze at their home in Norbury on Friday morning may have been saved by their pet dog.

Twenty firemen fought to put out the flames which destroyed the whole of the roof and 25 per cent of the first floor of the semi-detached house in Kingslyn Crescent.

Five adults, including two teenagers who were treated at Mayday Hospital, for burns, and a baby, fled from the house at about 6.06am, after they were woken by their dogs barking and whining.

Station Officer James Drewitt, who was called to the scene from Norbury Fire Station, believed the family was extremely lucky.

He said: Thank goodness for the dog.

There was no smoke alarm fitted so if it werent for the dog, it could well have been a very different story.

The dog is believed to have escaped unharmed.

A spokeswoman for London Fire Brigade said it was not known whether the two people who were burned had been trying to put out the fire.

Seventy-five per cent of the roof had already been ravaged by the time firefighters arrived.

She added: Firefighters were concerned the flames would spread to the other half of the house but managed to prevent damage next door.

The fire was out by 7.06am.

She said an initial inspection did not point towards anything suspicious.

But firecrews struggled to get to the burning house because cars were badly parked along the narrow road.

London Fire Brigade said in London so far this year five people have died in house

fires.

None of those properties was fitted with smoke alarms.