There truly is no smoke without fire. If Duffy didn't already know this, having sung a song of same name, she certainly does now as her £12m ($19m) apartment in Kensington, London was engulfed by flames last night (3rdOct2012).

The 28-year-old singer was apparently with a friend and her cleaner, in the process of packing to move house when the fire broke out. Although the 6000 sq/ft property, that occupies both the 9th and 10th floors of the 12 floor apartment block, has its own pool and private cinema, at the forefront of Duffy's mind were her 2 cats and dog. The Evening Standard reports that the singer was seen to be looking for her cat Felix, “Where’s my cat? Come on, come here.” she shouted, and, as her neighbour Maria McLeod quotes, “Felix this is your last chance!” Luckily, Felix was found later, hiding beneath a van, so all inhabitants of the flat seem to have got out unscathed, if a little shaken.

Duffy has been on hiatus since last year, but has been making plans to begin performing and recording again, as she is due to perform in the United Arab Emirates next month. However, her house fire is another in a long list in unfortunate year Duffy, having broken up with her rugby-player boyfriend, Mike Phillips, earlier in the year and being sued by her former manager.