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Hundreds flee Soho fire as blaze brings chaos to West End
Mark Prigg and Justin Davenport10 Jul 2009
More than 60 firefighters battled to contain a dramatic blaze in Soho this afternoon.
Hundreds of people were evacuated from buildings around the fire in Dean Street. There were no reports of any casualties.
The London Fire Brigade said 12 fire engines went to the scene after they were alerted at about 2pm. Three quarters of the office building, the former home of Future Films next to the Red Fort restaurant, was alight by 3pm.
Ann Hunter, who works for a media buying agency in Great Newport Street, said: “The first we knew was when we saw a huge plume of thick black smoke. But then power went out all across Soho, and people starting coming out of pubs and restaurants onto the street to see what was going on.”
A pall of smoke was visible from as far away as Canary Wharf and the Oxo Tower. There was traffic chaos as police sealed off roads and nearby office workers poured into the street. A fire service spokesman said: “There is a lot of confusion in the area. The smoke is very thick and dense.”
Alex Tew, who runs an internet firm, was on Dean Street having seen the fire from his office: “There's an absolutely huge plume of smoke visible throughout London, and everyone is leaving offices in the area to come and look.”
Hundreds of messages and pictures of the fire were posted on Twitter.
Nino Ripani, manager of nearby restaurant Signor Zilli's, said: “It's really shocking, it's something that you don't see every day. It's really getting to serious stuff now — we can see the black bits coming out.”
A staff member at the Groucho Club said employees inside the club were not being allowed out: “We cannot see anything, they are not letting us outside.”
The fire is believed to have started in the basement at 76 Dean Street. Other reports said an air conditioning unit may have exploded.
The building is the former base of British movie company Future Films, which produced Bend It Like Beckham. According to an ex-employee of the adjacent restaurant The Red Fort the company renovated the building and moved last year. It was said to be occupied by a new company.
Firefighters placed a perimeter around the area of the blaze with Soho Square closed.
The house, which dates from the early 1730s, has been described as one the best-preserved 18th-century homes in London with historically important murals and staircases.
Click here to see more pictures of the fire in Soho
Soho resident David Bieda, who lives at number 68, said: “It's very sad as it is one of the most important early Georgian houses in London.”
It is the second blaze to hit Soho in as many days. Yesterday, fire crews were called to a building in Newport Place, housing a restaurant and offices.
No one was hurt.
Additional reporting: Sri Carmichael, Jonathan Prynn and Amar Singh
Reader views (9)
So sorry to see this insident. I can see huge smoke and
fire in the picture and can feel sorry again for the
great loss.
- Sadmani Salam, New York. USA., 15/07/2009 03:16
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Don't worry Angela - I think your mentioning of the bravery of the fire-fighters in your original post meant that most of us were able to understand the spirit of what you had written.
- John, London, 10/07/2009 18:17
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I used to work at 76 Dean Street, a few years ago now. Its very sad to see the building up in flames, I just hope nobody was injured.
- Zinnah, London, 10/07/2009 17:30
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Shocking to see this. Another piece of history damaged!
- Julie Pang, London, 10/07/2009 17:00
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If you read the news stories, you will see that nobody is injured. When I posted my story, I was just talking about how good our view was of the emerging situation, I was not saying it was great that a building was on fire. I really wanted to pay tribute to the great bravery of the firemen who were risking their lives to put out the flames and save Soho. They are real heroes.
- Angela Piumi, London, UK, 10/07/2009 16:47
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What a great photo and trust no injuries. All we need now is water and lots of it. May I suggest a remotely operated water tower that puts no one at risk but can get near the actual burning bits!
- Jack Spratt, Richmond, Surrey, 10/07/2009 16:36
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Angela, I think your comment of a great view is a little misplaced. What if someone was injured? Not so great then, is it
- Chris Stokes, London, UK, 10/07/2009 16:27
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I work on the Strand at the Aldwych end and we had wafts of smoke going by at around 3pm, the smell penetrated the building.
- Sharon Dean, London, UK, 10/07/2009 16:19
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We're based in an the Methods Consulting office on the 9th floor in Shaftesbury Avenue and have a great view of the fire. The smoke is like an incendary cascade. The acrid smell of smoke is filling the air even here about 1/2 mile away. We've seen incredibly brave firefighters damping down the nearby buildings to try to stop the fire spreading, whilst being engulfed in the dense black smoke which is billowing out of the building.
- Angela Piumi, London, UK, 10/07/2009 15:51
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