A major fire broke out at the former BBC Television Centre in White City, west London, in the early hours of Saturday morning. Around 100 firefighters rushed to the nine-storey building on Wood Lane just after 3am as flames spread to the upper floors.
Emergency services evacuated residents from nearby buildings as a precaution, with a rest centre established for displaced locals. The Guardian reports that one person was treated at the scene by emergency services.
Former BBC headquarters ablaze
The fire struck the Helios Building at Television Centre, which served as the BBC's primary headquarters until 2012. The building has since been converted into a mixed-use development housing 162 homes, a gym and a 47-bedroom hotel.
The blaze affected multiple areas including a restaurant, external decking and ducting systems, with several flats also potentially impacted. Footage from the London Fire Brigade shows the scale of the emergency at the iconic broadcasting landmark.
Massive emergency response
Crews from Hammersmith, North Kensington, Kensington, Chiswick and surrounding fire stations were mobilised to tackle the blaze. Two 32-metre turntable ladders were deployed as water towers to help extinguish the fire from height.
Wood Lane remains closed to traffic and people are advised to avoid the area while emergency services continue their work. The cause of the fire is not yet known and investigations are ongoing.
Sources used: "Metro", "The Guardian", "Daily Star", "Daily Mail" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
