Firefighters have been battling a “complex fire” for 12 hours at a restaurant located in the BBC’s former Television Centre headquarters in west London.
The London Fire Brigade (LFB) reported that 15 fire engines and 100 firefighters were dispatched to the nine-storey building in Wood Lane, White City, after the blaze erupted in the early hours of the morning.
As of late Saturday morning, smoke continued to billow from the rooftop rotunda, with crews utilizing a drone to assist in combating the fire. Onlookers gathered on the street to observe and document the scene.
Parts of the building, which now houses a restaurant, residential flats, and television studios, were evacuated. A police cordon was established, sealing off the plaza.
The cause of the fire remains undetermined, according to the LFB.
As a precautionary measure, nearby buildings were also evacuated, and a rest center was established for displaced residents.
The Salvation Army was observed providing sandwiches to emergency responders.
Firefighters remained on site at 15:00 BST, approximately 12 hours after the initial call to the brigade.
The LFB has characterized the incident as a “complex fire,” but affirmed that crews are “continuing to make steady progress.”
A resident of one of the converted flats reported detecting the odor of smoke as early as 03:00.
“It was quite thick,” the resident stated. “I could just see a red glow. It almost looked like a portal to the underworld. It was quite sinister.”
“We could see about 100 firefighters and at least eight or nine fire engines that were all parked up.”
“We were in a different part of the building on the other side of the complex, so I wasn’t evacuated or instructed by any firefighters, but they seemed very on it.”
The London Ambulance Service confirmed that one patient was treated at the scene and subsequently discharged.
“The incident is ongoing, and we remain on scene as a precaution, working closely with our emergency services partners,” a spokesperson added.
Isabela Brooker, a resident of the seventh floor, recounted that she and her eight-and-a-half-month-old son, Rafael, were evacuated at 04:30.
“We heard a knock on the door, and it was the fire brigade telling us to evacuate,” she stated.
“There was smoke all in the corridor – it was very scary. I left everything, and we’re now down here in our pyjamas.”
“I have no nappies and nothing else.”
The LFB reported receiving the call shortly after 03:00, with crews deployed from Hammersmith, North Kensington, Kensington, and Chiswick.
Two large turntable ladders were employed to combat the fire from an elevated position.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, expressed his gratitude to the LFB on X for their efforts in addressing the “major fire.”
The LFB confirmed that the restaurant, external decking, and ducting were all ablaze.
“The brigade is working alongside multi-agency partners, including the Metropolitan Police, to evacuate buildings in the area as a precaution,” the LFB stated.
“Wood Lane is currently closed to traffic, and people are advised to avoid the area as the incident will remain ongoing for some time.”
A spokesperson for Television Centre issued the following statement: “Earlier this morning, a fire occurred in the Helios building at Television Centre in west London, which is now contained.”
“We can confirm that residents and staff members were evacuated safely.”
“We are hugely grateful to the London Fire Brigade for their swift response and to the Metropolitan Police for their support.”
“We continue to work closely with the emergency services and local authorities to ensure the building is secure.”
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