A massive fire engulfed a warehouse in West London on Tuesday morning, November 25, with around 150 firefighters battling the blaze after residents reported hearing explosions.
The London Fire Brigade (LFB) was called to a two-storey building in Southall at around 08:55 GMT.
The fire spread rapidly and as reported by brigade officials about three-quarters of the structure, which houses a warehouse and retail space was alight.
25 fire engines were dispatched from stations including Southall, Heston, and Ealing. The scale of the operation was escalated from an initial 70 firefighters with the LFB describing it as a “protracted incident” that crews would be tackling throughout the day.
A huge plume of black smoke was seen across large parts of London, with residents from as far as Merton and central London reporting seeing it.
The LFB issued a warning, urging people in the local area to keep their doors and windows closed as the smoke increases.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Authorities have warned that traffic in the area is being impacted due to rescue operations.