The fire and rescue service released a picture of the burnt out interior of the house as a stark reminder to residents to check their alarms regularly.
Firefighters from Bracknell and Wokingham were sent to tackle the kitchen fire at a two-storey semi-detached property in Priestwood Court Road on Wednesday morning.
Four crew members in breathing apparatus used two hose reels to put out the blaze.
Station Manager Paul Jones, attended the incident. He said: "This was a significant fire, which has caused substantial damage to the house.
An ambulance was called to the scene at 9.16am and treated one patient at the house but did not take them to hospital.
“Although there were smoke alarms fitted in the property, they were not working, which meant that the occupants were not alerted to the fire until it was well-developed.
"Luckily, this fire started at a time when the occupants were awake - if it had started overnight, they may not have woken up in time and this incident could have had a tragic outcome."
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