Huge plumes of smoke rose over central London after a fire broke out in the cellar of a pub in Trafalgar Square during a scorching heatwave on Tuesday afternoon.
Twenty fire engines and around 125 firefighters were sent to tackle the blaze along with police and ambulances. London Fire Brigade (LFB) has told people to avoid the area.
Around 150 people were evacuated from the building and police said there had been no injuries.
Firefighters were still tackling the blaze as the sun went down, after being called at 5.49pm.
Authorities did not know what sparked the fire but could determine it began beneath the floorboards of the Admiralty Pub some 30 yards from Nelson’s Column.
The hot weather meant firefighters were working in more strenuous conditions. LFB said: “Please spare a thought for all firefighters dealing with fires in these conditions”
Fire station commander Keith McDermott, at the scene, said: “Due to the arduous, challenging and hot conditions inside the basement we’ve increased the number of fire engines and firefighters at the scene.
“Around 150 people evacuated the pub and surrounding businesses before the Brigade arrived. There has been no reports of any injuries.”
Photos and video on social media showed smoke billowing from the building on the south side of the central London tourist hotspot.
Police warned of heavy traffic disruption on surrounding roads and asked people to avoid the area.
The Mall was closed in both directions between Trafalgar Square and Horse Guards Road.
A spokesperson for Metropolitan Police told The Independent: “Police are assisting with road closures following reports of a fire at an address in Spring Gardens SW1. No reports of any injuries at this time.”
