Dozens of properties were evacuated and about 60 people were forced to leave their homes after a massive fire broke out in Feltham, west London. The hotel is approximately 3 km from Heathrow Airport.
According to the fire department, 10 trucks and about 70 firefighters were involved in fighting the blaze. The fire affected trees, shrubs and parts of the property near the road.
Despite its proximity to the airport, and reports that smoke can be seen from afar, a Heathrow spokesperson told MyLondon that the fire did not affect operations at the site. Therefore, aircraft continue to land and take off normally.
The cause of the fire is not yet known. Pictures shared on social media show a lot of fire and smoke clouds. More than 40 calls were made to the fire department at about 4:30 p.m. local time.
Commander Tamer Ozdemir, who is at the site, said that specialists worked hard to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby properties. According to him, this “saved nearly 30 homes on Hereford Road”. About 60 residents were evacuated “due to the amount of smoke”.
“Our drone team is on site to help teams identify other hotspots in the surrounding forest,” he explained.
Hounslow Police said it was supporting firefighters from Hillingdon, Kingston, Southall, Surbiton, Tooting and nearby fire stations. In a statement on social media, they recommended people avoid the area.
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