Firefighters sort out blaze at BBC’s former HQ in west London | London

[ad_1] Firefighters are tackling a blaze in London’s White Metropolis after a hearth broke out within the early hours of Saturday on the former BBC HQ.

London hearth brigade (LFB) mentioned about 100 firefighters and 15 hearth engines had been known as to the nine-storey constructing on Wooden Lane shortly after 3am.

Images from the scene point out that the hearth was principally affecting the Helios Constructing at Tv Centre, which has been transformed into flats and a restaurant. Smoke was nonetheless billowing from the rooftop rotunda late on Saturday morning as firefighters used a drone to assist sort out the blaze and crowds gathered on the road to observe and take images.

Hearth crews had been drafted in from Hammersmith, North Kensington, Kensington and Chiswick. Two 32-metre turntable ladders are additionally in use as water towers to extinguish the hearth from above. The reason for the hearth is unknown.

The fireplace service mentioned in an announcement: “The fireplace is at present affecting flooring in direction of the highest of the constructing. A restaurant, exterior decking and ducting is at present alight. An unknown variety of flats have additionally probably been affected by the hearth.”

Close by buildings within the White Metropolis space are being evacuated by LFB and the Metropolitan police as a precaution. A relaxation centre has been arrange for individuals who needed to depart their houses, and the London ambulance service mentioned it had despatched an ambulance crew, an incident response officer and a hazardous space response crew to the scene.

The Salvation Military might be seen handing out sandwiches to emergency employees. A London ambulance service spokesperson additionally confirmed that one individual was handled on the scene.

One resident of the flats within the outdated BBC Tv Centre mentioned: “I obtained woken up by my girlfriend at 3am who was getting back from work. We may actually odor the smoke, it was fairly thick.

“We may see about 100 firefighters and a minimum of eight or 9 hearth engines that had been all parked up. I may simply see a pink glow. It was glowing actually intensely, it nearly seemed like a portal to the underworld. It was fairly sinister.”

Li Mei, who lives in a block of flats throughout the highway, was alerted by their accomplice within the early hours of the morning concerning the hearth. “There was a lot smoke – we had been anxious it was going to worsen,” they mentioned. “Thank God it looks like no one has died.”

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A LFB spokesperson mentioned the hearth was ongoing and the hearth crew can be on the scene for a minimum of one other few hours as they investigated the highest of the constructing. Some roads within the space stay closed, and persons are suggested to keep away from the world as emergency companies are anticipated to be on location for the rest of the day.

In accordance with the Helios Constructing’s web site, it has 162 houses, together with a health club and a 47-bedroom lodge. It was beforehand a part of the Tv Centre, which served because the BBC’s headquarters till 2013, when the broadcaster moved to its present location at Broadcasting Home, in Portland Place.