THIRTY firefighters tackled a blaze at a discount store in Sydenham this morning.
The fire brigade was called to the Pound Plus Store in Sydenham Road at 3.39am.
It is reported that nine people left the premises and an adjacent building before firefighters arrived.
Crews from Forest Hill, Downham, Beckenham, Lewisham and Norbury fire stations tackled the blaze.
The fire was under control by 7.43am.
No one was injured during the incident.
Emilio Mataj lives next door to the shop and was woken at 4am by an alarm.
He said: "There was smoke everywhere and we had to evacuate from the back door.
"We couldn't go back in for three hours.
"There was so much smoke my place still stinks and I had to wash all my clothes."
A fire brigade spokeswoman said it is thought the fire started in a store room at the back of the shop.
The shop suffered substantial smoke and heat damage in the blaze.
The cause of the fire is being investigated.
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