A FAMILY escaped a house fire thought to have been caused by a mattress in their front garden catching alight.


Fire-fighters were called to the scene in Walnut Road, Leyton, just after 4am Wednesday morning (November 21).


It is believed that the blaze spread from the mattress to the ground floor of the home, which was part damaged.


Two men, a woman and a child were woken by a fire alarm and managed to escape the property before the emergency services arrived.
 

Crew Manager Chris Doone, who attended the incident, said: “At this stage we believe that the fire started in a mattress and divan that were in the garden.


"It’s important that you don’t let rubbish build up outside your home and get it removed as it can easily become a fire hazard."


He added: "Thankfully the family had a working smoke alarm and were alerted to the fire and were able escape the property.


"It’s really important that you have a working smoke alarm in your home as they can buy you vital time to escape if there is a fire.”


The blaze was brought under control by just after 5am.


Ten fire-fighters from Leyton attended the scene.


An investigation into the circumstances of the blaze has been launched.