Four fire engines and around 25 firefighters tackled a blaze at a building site on Fitzroy Street in Fitzrovia on Wednesday 27 September.
An industrial boiler on the sixth floor of the building was destroyed by fire. Around 130 people left the building before the London Fire Brigade arrived and two men were treated on scene by London Ambulance Service crews.
Three workers received hospital treatment for smoke inhalation but were discharged the same day.
“The Brigade was called at 2:17pm and the fire was under control by 3:36pm. Fire crews from Paddington, Islington, Homerton and Shoreditch fire stations attended the scene. The cause of the fire is under investigation.” said the London Fire Brigade.
The site at 15 Fitzroy Street is being constructed by 8Build Ltd. Planning permission was granted by Camden Council for an extension and external alterations to the building in 2021. Work started on the site earlier this year and the project is due to be completed in the summer of 2024.
In a statement to Fitzrovia News, a spokesperson for 8Build said:
“At approximately 1pm, a hot melt boiler caught fire, extracting smoke across one of the floorplates. The fire was contained, and site staff attempted to extinguish it, following all training and site safety measures.
“The emergency services were called and the site was evacuated in line with the site procedures. The fire brigade extinguished the contained fire successfully. Three site staff who were working in close proximity to the incident attended hospital due to smoke inhalation. They were discharged on the same day and have returned to work since.
“We are grateful to London Fire Brigade for their prompt response, and we are now conducting a full investigation into the cause of the fire and responses taken on the day.
“Other works on the site will continue meanwhile. Ensuring the safety of our staff and the wider community is our top priority and our investigation will ensure we find out what happened so it can be avoided in the future,” said the spokesperson.
Editor’s note: This article was corrected on the 4 October. Originally we stated that the building is owned by Workspace Group Plc. In fact it was sold by them in September 2021 before any construction was started. We apologise for the error.