Fifteen fire engines and around 100 firefighters tackled a major fire overnight near Roxeth Green Avenue in South Harrow.
The fire broke out in a range of four railway arches housing businesses, including vehicle workshops and other commercial units. The properties have been severely damaged.
The London Fire Brigade was first alerted at 1:18am on Friday (5 July), receiving around 40 calls about the incident. Crews from Harrow, Wembley, Stanmore, Ruislip and surrounding stations responded quickly.
At the height of the fire, people living nearby were asked to keep windows and doors closed due to significant smoke in the area. An unknown number of gas cylinders exploded in the early stages.
Firefighters removed two further cylinders and cooled them to a safe temperature.
Two 32-metre turntable ladders were used as water towers to fight the fire from above, and a drone provided the Incident Commander with a clear view of the scene.
The fire was brought under control by around 4am, but crews are expected to remain on site throughout the morning to damp down and ensure the area is safe.
Road closures remain in place in Roxeth Green Avenue, near the junction of The Arches. Transport for London has confirmed the Piccadilly line is suspended between South Harrow and Uxbridge stations and is likely to be severely impacted as services resume.
There have been no reports of any injuries.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Chris Mitchell is the founder and editor of Harrow Online, Harrow’s leading local news platform.
He launched Harrow Online in 2010 as a Facebook page sharing local news and information. Since then, it has grown into a trusted source for breaking news, crime, council decisions, planning, transport, business and community stories across the borough.
Harrow Online reaches hundreds of thousands of readers each month and has a social media audience of more than 200,000 followers.
For news tips, press releases or enquiries, contact Chris at info@harrowonline.org.
