About 70 firefighters and 10 fire engines tackled an electrical fire on Wednesday in an underground utility tunnel in Holborn.
The London Fire Brigade (LFB) took many hours to extinguish the fire due to its ‘challenging‘ circumstances. A police cordon remained in place around the junction of Southampton Row and Theobalds Road until Thursday evening.
All workers and visitors to the area were evacuated by police. Roar observed local workers and residents being refused entry to the cordoned area by Metropolitan Police officers.
Videos circulating on social media showed large plumes of smoke rising from utility covers. Initial reports suggesting the fire had begun in a London Underground tunnel were confirmed to be incorrect: Holborn station remains open.
The fire reportedly started in an underground tunnel along Theobalds Road, involving a high-voltage electricity cable. The LFB initially deployed six fire engines before mobilising additional units due to hazardous conditions of the fire.
It was brought under control around 2 pm after shutting off the electricity mains to the street, according to the LFB. Buses have been rerouted and the public are being advised to avoid the area.
Holborn is the site of many Victorian-era utilities tunnels which continue to be used today. For security reasons, these tunnels are not open to the public and many of their locations remain unknown.
Power had been restored by to most affected addresses by Thursday morning, according to UK Power Networks. Roads remained closed on Thursday whilst emergency utility works were carried out.
In a statement, the LFB said: ‘Due to the challenging and hazardous nature of the incident, an additional four fire engines were requested to attend, taking the total to 10 appliances.
‘This was a prolonged operation given the complexity of tackling a fire within an underground electrical tunnel. Once the power was isolated, firefighters wearing breathing apparatus entered the tunnel to better tackle the fire.
‘Working closely with partner agencies, firefighters safely brought the fire under control.
‘The incident is still causing significant disruption in central London, with multiple road closures and a safety cordon currently in place. Several bus routes have been diverted, and the public are advised to continue to avoid the area where possible.’
No injuries have been reported, according to the London Ambulance Service.
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