A massive fire occurred early on Monday at an electricity substation on Aberdeen Place in Maida Vale, north-west London, engulfing a neighboring block of flats and causing around 80 residents to be evacuated. The fire occurred at approximately 5:30 a.m. BST, with flames eventually engulfing the roof of the residential building.
More than 100 firefighters and 15 appliances were rapidly dispatched to the scene as thick grey smoke and fire reaching up to 8 feet engulfed the atmosphere. Luckily, there are no reported injuries thus far. London Fire Brigade (LFB) has also asked residents in the area to keep their doors and windows shut due to the heavy smoke.
Eyewitnesses Describe Dramatic Scenes
Sanna Daw, a resident of the area, told the BBC that she saw “bright orange flames” and a “huge billowing black plume” of smoke. “At one stage there was a big eruption… I was quite scared,” she explained.
?Breaking News?
In St John’s Wood in north London an electricity substation is on fire. It is similar to the one that brought Heathrow Airport to a halt.
The fire began at 5.30 am & 100 firefighters are fighting the blaze. pic.twitter.com/ypj83WWQXY
— David Atherton (@DaveAtherton20) April 29, 2025
Another evacuee resident, Alice Bazzi, said she was roused by her mother who had caught the smell of smoke. Bazzi said of the point at which the fire grew, “The flames got higher than these trees before engulfing the roof of our building. There was some sort of inferno blow-up. You didn’t hear it but you just saw it, it went ‘phew’. You felt it on your face, I felt the heat.”
London Fire Services Act Quick, Cause Still Unclear
The London Fire Brigade said it had received more than 160 calls reporting the fire, which it called “very visible.” Even with the intensity of the flames, no reports of any disruptions to the electricity supply in the region have been made.
UK Power Networks, which manages the substation, assured that the plant is still operational and keeps powering the surrounding areas. A representative stated, “Our teams are making the equipment safe in liaison with the fire service. It is an isolated incident, and supplies to customers were not affected.”
