Firefighters were called at 1.20am this morning after a blaze in an unoccupied ground floor flat on Cowley Road.

People living in the flat above were alerted by their smoke alarms, officials say.

Investigators are working with Thames Valley Police to determine the cause of the fire.

Crews wearing breathing apparatus extinguished the fire using a high pressure hose-reel and removed the smoke using a positive pressure fan.

Crew manager Kevin Morgan said “The occupiers in the flat above were alerted by their smoke alarms. These provided early detection and alerted the home owners of the fire in the flat below.

"This is a clear reminder to everyone of the importance of working, suitable smoke alarms in homes, and we urge people to check theirs once a week.”

Visit www.365alive.co.uk for fire safety advice.