Railway arch fire breaks out at Union Street, Southwark

by ActiveFeatured News

Ten fire engines and around 70 firefighters tackled a fire under the railway arches on Union Street Southwark earlier today.

A railway arch containing a number of vehicles was completely alight. Firefighters also investigated smoke coming from a platform at London Bridge Underground Station and confirmed this was coming from the fire on Union Street. There are currently no reports of any injuries.

Network Rail said it had also spread to a car park and a couple of electric cars were ablaze.

Southwark Street is closed between Southwark Bridge Road and Lavington Street whilst crews continue to work to make the scene safe. 

The Brigade was called at 0929 and the fire was under control by 1120. Fire crews from Dowgate, Whitechapel, Shoreditch, Shadwell and surrounding fire stations attended the scene. The cause of the fire is under investigation

Station Commander Wayne Johnson, who was at the scene, said: “The blaze was producing heavy smoke and those living or working in the local area were advised to keep their windows and doors closed. 

“Trains to and from London Bridge are affected and several buildings were evacuated.”

London fire: Major blaze hits 22-storey tower block

by ActiveFeatured NewsSafety

A large fire broke out on Monday afternoon, in East London on the 17th floor of a block of flats. London’s fire service said it sent 15 engines and 125 firefighters to the high-rise at Whitechapel High Street.

Eye-witnesses described large panels of glass falling hundreds of metres to the ground and smoke bellowing out of the windows. Three commercial units underneath the railway arches were completely alight, and four cars and a telephone box were also on fire.

At one point, flames began to spread to a balcony on the 18th floor before fire crews put them out. Fire could later be seen through a window on the 19th floor.

A resident in the 10th floor of the building, who was visiting her friend from Nottingham, said no alarms went off. The fire severely disturbed several victims who were in the building. London Mayor Sadiq Khan said he was in “close contact” with London Fire Brigade’s commissioner Andy Roe, Sky News reported.

According to property developer Hondo Enterprises, which sold the building in 2018, it is a 22-storey mixed use development consisting of more than 7,000 square feet of retail area, 97,000 square feet of commercial office space and 207 residential apartments.

It is located over Aldgate East Tube station between the City, the financial heart of London, and neighbourhoods Aldgate and Spitalfields.