The London Fire Brigade has advised householders to ‘keep an eye on their pets’ after it emerged that a family dog called Leo started a kitchen fire that nearly destroyed a family home in Peckham.

Fire investigators believe Leo, a Boxer/Staffordshire cross, was responsible when on 3rd of March he jumped up and turned on the hob of a cooker.

This ignited a child’s seat.

No one was injured and Leo also escaped unscathed.

The blaze damaged a third of the ground floor of the three-storey house.

A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said:

We’re pleased that no one was injured in this fire and while unusual, it’s not unheard of for our crews to deal with incidents like this. It shows just how important it is to keep pets away from naked flames or cooker controls and to make sure kitchen surfaces and cookers are clear of food and other items that can easily catch fire.

Two fire engines and around 14 firefighters and officers from Peckham and New Cross fire stations attended the incident.

Southwark News interviewed Leo’s owner, took his photograph, and published the headline ‘Pyro Pooch Is In The Doghouse After Burning Kitchen Down in Peckham.’