Holborn fire: Dozens of firefighters tackle underground tunnel fire in central London
Dozens of firefighters battled a blaze in an underground tunnel in central London.
Ten fire engines and around 70 firefighters attended the scene on Theobalds Road at the Southampton Row junction in Holborn on Wednesday.
The fire is currently under control and no injuries have been reported, but crews will remain on scene throughout the afternoon.
London Fire Brigade (LFB) will now launch an investigation as the cause of the fire is unknown.
Steve Whymark, 39, a hospitality compliance and support worker who works locally, said his contract job had been canceled for the day and he would have to return at a later date.
he described Independent “how you could see flames coming out of the manhole in the corner”.
After being evacuated from the office building, Mr Whymark waited outside with his colleagues for approximately two and a half hours.
“Bloomsbury Square was packed to the brim with people coming from offices and a nearby construction site,” he said.
“It was very cold having to wait, but I was thankful that at least the weather was dry. I had my keys inside the building so I couldn’t leave without them, so it was just a case of waiting for an update.”
He claimed the fire also caused problems accepting card payments in some places, but he was able to visit a cafe that accepted Apple Pay.
Station commander Paul Morgan said: “Six fire engines and approximately 40 firefighters were initially mobilized to the scene, where crews discovered a fire below street level involving high-voltage electrical cables.
“Due to the challenging and dangerous nature of the incident, a further four fire engines were requested to attend, bringing the total number to ten vehicles. “Given the complexity of firefighting in the underground electrical tunnel, this is expected to be a protracted operation.
“Firefighters are working closely with partner agencies to safely contain the incident while minimizing disruption.
“The incident is causing significant disruption to central London, with multiple road closures and cordons in place. Many bus routes have been diverted and the public are advised to avoid the area where possible.
“Our community engagement team is on site to provide support to local residents and businesses affected by the fire.”
LFB’s 999 control officer responded to 18 calls about the fire and sent crews to the scene from fire stations in Soho, Euston, Shoreditch, Islington, Lambeth and surrounding areas.
