Major incident declared after large fire breaks out in West London, forcing evacuation

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - Emergency services declared a "major incident" after a warehouse fire broke out in West London on Tuesday, forcing the evacuation of nearby residential blocks and schools.

A major incident has been declared as 25 fire engines and around 150 firefighters are responding to a fire in a two-story structure consisting of a warehouse and retail space on Bridge Road, Southall, the London Fire Brigade (LFB) said in a statement.

The decision has been taken due to the suspected presence of fireworks and cylinders being stored within the structure, said Assistant Commissioner Pat Goulbourne, the LFB's incident commander.

"All firefighters have withdrawn to a safe distance and are now fighting the fire from a greater distance to ensure crew safety," the statement said.

The LFB also noted: "Neighbouring properties, including three schools and a residential block have been evacuated as a precaution whilst crews respond."

Crews from Southall, Heston, Ealing, and surrounding fire stations have been sent to the scene, said the fire brigade, adding the cause of the fire is not yet known.