Five people had to climb out of windows to escape an inferno that completely gutted a first-floor flat this morning.

Firefighters rescued three people by ladder from the blaze-hit flat, in Hargrave Road, Archway, and two were freed from the property above after the blaze erupted just after 2am.

Shane Phelan, landlord at Phelan’s Bar in Holloway Road, said: “I saw the flames coming out from the back of the block. I smelt it and looked out and there were huge flames, about a metre and a half high. I rushed out to see if I could help, and there were people on the first floor trying to get the window open. I saw the firefighters get a ladder up and help one woman out.”

The victims were all taken to hospital by ambulance after inhaling smoke.

Four crews from Holloway and Kentish Town tackled the blaze and had it under control just before 4am.

The watch manager at Kentish Town said: “There was a smoke alarm in the building but we don’t think it went off. The residents only realised there was a fire when they noticed the smoke.”

It is believed a faulty electric heater was the cause of the fire. Police are not treating it as suspicious.