A blaze that ravaged a high-end hotel in London, favored by celebrities, was ignited by wood that fell from a pizza oven.
The Chiltern Firehouse, which was set to host a post-Bafta film awards celebration that Sunday evening, sustained significant damage in the fire that broke out on Friday.
According to the London Fire Brigade (LFB), flames moved through the four-story establishment in central London via ductwork, affecting sections of the ground floor and half of the second floor, while completely destroying the third floor and roof.
The fire service indicated that the incident was accidental, caused by wood from the pizza oven igniting a space between the basement and the ground floor.
Once a fire station, the Marylebone venue has been transformed into a luxurious five-star hotel and restaurant, frequented by many stars.
Paul McCourt, assistant commissioner of the LFB, remarked, “Our crews exerted tremendous effort for over eight hours under challenging circumstances. Confronted with a complex situation in a historically significant structure, formerly the Manchester Square fire station, our firefighters successfully contained the blaze, preventing it from encroaching on adjacent properties.”
Around 100 individuals were evacuated during the incident, and fortunately, no injuries were reported. Approximately 125 firefighters and 20 fire engines were deployed to combat the fire.
