Huge fire at Mayfair mansion
Over 100 firefighters and 20 fire engines attended a huge blaze in a Grade-I listed building in central London.
The fire broke out at the five-storey terraced house in Mayfair at around 5.30 am on Saturday 4th February.
Several local streets were closed off during the fire for safety reasons. These include Grafton Street, Albermarle Street, Dover Street and Bond Street.
The fire spread from the third and fourth floors but did not affect any other properties on the street.
Margot Armstrong who works in a shop nearby said: “When I arrived at work, there was just thick black smoke and fire engines back to Piccadilly. It is so sad. It is such a beautiful house, I used to walk past and think ‘What what a beautiful building’. We gave some of the firemen some tea – they looked sick from all the smoke.”
Mick Sayer, station manager at Southwark fire station, said at the scene: “Firefighters are working really hard to bring the fire under control as quickly as possible so that normality can be restored to the area. The occupants of the building had left the premises through the front door before we arrived. We have had 100 firefighters, 20 fire appliances and three aerial ladder platforms. There was a serious fire on the fourth and fifth floor. We have had to carry out considerable damage control work to reduce the damage caused by the water jets.”
The building was built in 1722 and was recently bought for around £13 million.
It is not yet known how the fire started but it is not thought to be suspicious.
Smoke alarm alerts neighbour to house fire
A man was taken to hospital after a fire broke out at his home.
Fire crews from Great Holm and Bletchley attended the incident at the property in Rushleys Close, Loughton, at around 9.15am on 27th January.
Watch Manager Dominic Smith said: “The fire started in the bedroom and we are investigating the cause. The occupier initially tried to tackle the fire but was helped out of the bungalow by a neighbour who heard the smoke alarm and saw the smoke. The neighbour did really well to get him out and we hope he is on the way to a full recovery. Our advice to anyone discovering a fire in their home is to get out, stay out and call 999 rather than to try to tackle it and risk serious injury.”
The bedroom was badly damaged by the fire and the rest of the bungalow suffered smoke damage.
Man dies in Elsenham house fire
A 36-year old man has died after a fire broke out at a house in Stansted Road, Elsenham at around 10pm on Saturday 28th January.
Three crews, from Stansted, Newport and Bishops Stortford took nearly two hours to extinguish the fire which had engulfed the whole property.
Firefighters manage to rescue the man from a bedroom but he was later pronounced dead at the scene.
The man’s 71-year-old father, was also rescued was taken to Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow for treatment.
An investigation is now underway to establish the cause of the fire.