Firefighters are tackling a blaze in London’s White City after a fire broke out in the early hours of Saturday at the former BBC HQ.
London fire brigade (LFB) said about 100 firefighters and 15 fire engines had been called to the nine-storey building on Wood Lane shortly after 3am.
Photos from the scene indicate that the fire was mostly affecting the Helios Building at Television Centre, which has been converted into flats and a restaurant.
Fire crews were drafted in from Hammersmith, North Kensington, Kensington and Chiswick. Two 32-metre turntable ladders are also in use as water towers to extinguish the fire from above. The cause of the fire is unknown.
The fire service said in a statement: “The fire is currently affecting floors towards the top of the building. A restaurant, external decking and ducting is currently alight. An unknown number of flats have also potentially been affected by the fire.”
Nearby buildings in the White City area are being evacuated by LFB and the Metropolitan police as a precaution. A rest centre has been set up for those who had to leave their homes, and the London ambulance service said it had sent an ambulance crew, an incident response officer and a hazardous area response team to the scene.
A London ambulance service spokesperson also confirmed that one person was treated on the scene.
A spokesperson said the fire was ongoing and the LFB crew would be on the scene for at least another few hours as they investigated the top of the building. Some roads in the area remain closed, and people are advised to avoid the area as emergency services are expected to be on location for the remainder of the day.
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According to the Helios Building’s website, it has 162 homes, along with a gym and a 47-bedroom hotel. It was previously part of the Television Centre, which served as the BBC’s headquarters until 2013, when the broadcaster moved to its current location at Broadcasting House, in Portland Place.
