Two women fled their home after flames from their fireplace spread into the fabric of their building.
A faulty hearth was blamed for the fire at Hanover Street, Brighton, this morning.
Firefighters had to remove sections of ceiling and floorboards to get to the embers.
A woman living in a basement room dialled 999 when she saw her ceiling glowing at about 2am.
She and the other woman living at the house got out by the time firefighters arrived.
Embers from their fireplace had spread because of a faulty hearthstone.
It was the first time the fire had been lit so far this winter.
Firefighters spent an hour and a half working at the scene
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