FAMILIES were forced to flee their homes as a raging fire ripped through a London tower block - leaving many fearing for their lives.
Residents became trapped in their flats last night after a barbecue lit on a balcony caused a motorbike to explode in a suspected arson attack.
Incredibly, everyone escaped with their lives.




Today the families living in the upmarket seven storey tower block in Brixton have told of their dramatic escape - and how they have lost everything they own.
Suillbhain Martin, 18, bravely helped his wheelchair-bound mum out of the burning building after hearing and explosion two storeys above him.
He told the Evening Standard:
“There were people screaming ‘get out, get out’ from both sides of the building, we had no idea what was going on.
“I got my mum ready and ordered her out. There were screaming people sprinting down the stairs.
“The flames were just getting higher and higher.”
His mother Pamela said: “My son was brilliant I didn’t hear anything at all. He was screaming ‘Mama get in your wheelchair now this is serious’ he is an unsung hero.
“When he got me out I looked back up it looked like everything was going to burn up. There are people here who have lost everything.”
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Heroic neighbours ran back in the burning building to help others to safety as the fire raged on Hicken Road.
They claim the fire had started after a man took his motorbike up to his second floor flat over fears it would be stolen.
Police have today said they had arrested a man on suspicion of arson.
Abigail Olafare, 75, who lives directly underneath the flat, said: “They were having a BBQ on the balcony which they are not allowed to do.
"They took a motorbike up the stairs and they put the charcoal on and it went straight to the petrol tank and it exploded - it seems pretty stupid now.”
Flames could be seen spewing out of the second floor flat of the seven storey new-build block, as four flats above it also caught alight.
Passers-by posted pictures of the blaze on Twitter, with some saying the smoke could be seen from miles away.
Police closed local roads as fire crews tackled the inferno, which was put out around an hours later.

Pictures from the scene showed five floors of Garland House severely damaged and blackened with soot.
London Fire Brigade tweeted: "10 fire engines & over 50 firefighters are tackling a flat blaze on Hicken Road in #Brixton."
The brigade said later: "Fire in #Brixton block of flats is now under control. No reports of any injuries."
Some evacuated families whose homes were badly damaged by the blaze were forced to sleep in the St Matthews Estate tenants community hall floor overnight.
Others were allowed back into their homes after firefighters made the building secure.
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