A major fire broke out early Tuesday morning at an electrical substation in Maida Vale, West London, triggering a huge emergency response and forcing the evacuation of around 100 residents.
Flames and thick black smoke were seen billowing into the sky just after 5.30am near Warwick Avenue station. The fire, which broke out on Aberdeen Place, prompted more than 170 emergency calls. The London Fire Brigade responded swiftly, dispatching 15 fire engines and approximately 100 firefighters to the scene.
The blaze quickly spread to part of a nearby residential block. Fearing for their safety, authorities evacuated residents from neighbouring buildings. Westminster City Council set up a rest centre at the Wharncliffe Gardens Community Centre to support displaced individuals. Thankfully, there have been no reports of injuries.
Station Commander Paul Morgan, speaking from the site, said: “This is a very visible fire and producing lots of smoke. Residents are advised to keep their windows and doors shut and avoid the area where possible.”
Residents who were forced out of their homes watched as fire crews battled to contain the fire. Videos posted on social media captured the moment smoke engulfed the area following what appeared to be a loud explosion.
One resident, Alice Bazzi, 36, described the terrifying moment her mother woke her. “You felt it on your face, I felt the heat,” she said. “That’s why they said our block has now been impacted because where the flames got so high, higher than these trees, the fire then went onto our roof.”
Crews from Paddington, Euston, and surrounding fire stations remain on site. The London Fire Brigade confirmed they are working closely with UK Power Networks and the Metropolitan Police to investigate the cause of the incident.
Assistant Commissioner of the London Fire Brigade, Pat Goulbourne, explained the ongoing effort: “Firefighting operations will continue for some time on the transformer at the substation. To combat this technically complex fire, crews have been deploying foam to suppress the flames. The foam works by smothering the fire and cutting off its fuel source, preventing reignition.”
Despite the dramatic scenes, power supplies have not been disrupted. UK Power Networks confirmed the substation fire was an isolated incident.
A spokesperson said: “UK Power Networks was called to a fire at a substation in St John’s Wood early this morning. This has not interrupted power supplies. Our teams are working with the fire service to make the equipment safe.”
A Repeat Incident?
The incident comes just weeks after a similar fire broke out at an electricity substation near Heathrow Airport. That March blaze caused major travel disruption, grounding flights and impacting tens of thousands of passengers. Roughly 67,000 homes were left without electricity when the substation in Hayes ignited.
This latest fire highlights the vulnerability of vital infrastructure across London. While no injuries or power outages were reported this time, the scale of the response and the fear experienced by local residents underline the seriousness of such incidents. Fire crews are expected to remain on site throughout the day as investigations continue.
