A significant fire erupted early this morning at an electrical substation on Victoria Passage, Aberdeen Place, in St John’s Wood, northwest London. The London Fire Brigade responded promptly at 5:29 am, dispatching 15 fire engines and approximately 100 firefighters to the scene. The blaze has produced thick black smoke visible across the capital.
An electrical transformer within the substation caught fire, and part of the roof of a neighbouring residential building is also alight. As a precaution, around 80 residents from a nearby block of flats have been evacuated. Firefighters are utilizing a 32-metre turntable ladder to combat the flames from above.
UK Power Networks has reported power outages in the Aberdeen Place area, though the exact number of affected residents remains unclear.
Station Commander Paul Morgan advised residents: “This is a very visible fire and there is lots of smoke. Residents are advised to keep their windows and doors shut.” The Metropolitan Police are assisting with the emergency response and have urged the public to avoid the area.
The cause of the fire is currently unknown, and emergency services continue to work to bring the situation under control.
