Thick clouds of smoke billowed into the night sky over north London last night as huge red flames engulfed a two-floor warehouse on Oxgate Lane, forcing 70 residents from a nearby apartment block to flee.
Footage captured by locals showed the fire raging through Staples Corner in Golders Green, with flames leaping high above the building. More than 150 firefighters from Hendon, Willesden Green and West Hampstead scrambled to the scene, backed by 25 fire engines and four turntable ladders extended over the inferno to douse it from above.
“More than 150 firefighters battled a massive warehouse blaze in north London, forcing 70 residents to evacuate.”
The London Fire Brigade confirmed it received more than 70 calls reporting the blaze. Firefighters urged local residents to keep doors and windows closed, warning of “a significant amount of smoke” drifting across the region.
Around 70 people were evacuated from a nearby apartment block as the fire tore through the multi-use warehouse. Surrounding roads were shut down – Oxgate Lane completely closed, and Edgware Road closed between the junctions of Dollis Hill and Staples Corner.
The cause of the inferno is not yet known.