Chiltern Firehouse: Dozens evacuated as fire breaks out at hotel


About 125 firefighters have been called to the blaze

About 100 people have been evacuated from a five-star hotel in central London as a fire continues to burn through the building.

The blaze at Chiltern Firehouse in Marylebone, which started at about 14:50 GMT, was located in ducting leading from the ground floor to the roof of the building. A plant room at roof level is also alight, London Fire Brigade (LFB) said.

The hotel, which has a restaurant on the ground floor, is a celebrity hotspot and has hosted A-listers including Jennifer Lawrence, Lady Gaga, Tom Cruise and Johnny Depp.

Located on Chiltern Street, it occupies the site of a Victorian fire station built in 1889 and was the location of Kylie Minogue’s 50th birthday party in 2018.

PA Media Flames and thick smoke rise from the upper floors of a brick building at dusk, with a church tower visible in the background.PA Media

The brigade said the fire was located in ducting leading from the ground floor to the roof of the luxury four-storey hotel

Guy Fischman, who was walking home from his workplace near Bond Street, said he saw “embers” and an “orange glow” coming from a window at the hotel.

The 23-year-old, from Richmond in south-west London, said he saw “the whole street full of smoke”.

“My coat stinks of smoke right now,” Mr Fischman told the PA news agency. “There was really thick smoke and it got into the other street as well. I walked out and the visibility was awful.

“I did not expect it to be so bad, especially seeing the embers coming from the window at the top, because it was so dark you can just see the orange glow and [the firefighters] were really trying to fight it with the water jets.”

Guy Fischman A night time scene of a fire in a multi-story building with thick smoke billowing from the roof. Firefighters are actively responding, with a fire engine in the foreground displaying the slogan "PUT IT OUT RIGHT OUT." A firefighter is seen near the open vehicle, while a high-pressure hose sprays water onto the burning building. Several people, including emergency responders and onlookers, are present.Guy Fischman

Mr Fischman added: “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like that in the UK or in London.”

Twenty fire engines and about 125 firefighters were called to tackle the blaze, LFB said.

Crews from Euston, Soho, Paddington, West Hampstead, Kensington and Chelsea fire stations were deployed. The cause of the fire is not yet known.



Source link

Related Articles

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Stay Connected

0FansLike
0FollowersFollow
0SubscribersSubscribe

Latest Articles