A child, man and woman have been saved from a fire caused by laptop batteries.

Firefighters led the three to safety from the blaze at an end of terrace house in Rugby Road, Becontree, which gutted part of the ground floor.

Station officer, Alan Furlong, who was at the scene, said: “Crews worked incredibly hard to get them out of the building as quickly as possible.

“The house was very heavily smoke logged and we made sure that alternative accommodation was arranged for the family.”

The brigade was called after midnight today (October 29). London Fire Brigade (LFB) 999 control officers talked to the three who were trapped inside about how to keep safe as crews raced to the house.

When firefighters arrived they saw smoke billowing from the first floor and could see three people trapped inside looking out from a first floor bedroom window.

Crews in breathing apparatus used a ladder to carry the child down to safety followed by a man and woman. Paramedics rushed them to hospital.

Four fire engines and about 25 firefighters from Dagenham, Ilford and Barking stations battled the blaze which was under control by 1.22am.

The brigade’s investigators believe the fire was caused by the failure of lithium-ion batteries in a laptop. Lithium-ion batteries are found in electrical devices including tablets and phones.

A LFB spokesperson said: “It’s really important to charge them properly to reduce the risk of fire.”

The brigade has issued the following advice: always use the charger that came with your phone, tablet, e-cigarette or mobile device.

If you need to buy a replacement, always choose a branded, genuine product from a supplier you can trust. There are lots of fakes out there, and it can be difficult to spot the difference.

Avoid storing, using or charging batteries at very high or low temperatures.

Protect batteries against being crushed, punctured or immersed in water.

Don’t leave items continuously on charge after the charge cycle is complete. It is best not to leave your phone plugged in overnight for example.

Never cover chargers or charging devices. This includes using a laptop power lead in bed.