A fire that ripped through a luxury central London hotel popular with celebrities started accidentally from a pizza oven, the London Fire Brigade (LFB) has said.
Chiltern Firehouse was partially destroyed by the Valentine’s Day fire, which began when burning wood fell from the oven, “igniting the void between the basement and ground floor,” LFB said.
The five-star hotel in Marylebone, a repurposed former fire station, had been due to host a star-studded post-BAFTA Film Awards party on Sunday evening.
It spread via ducting, pipes, or tubes used to ventilate buildings, and damaged parts of the ground floor and half of the second floor and destroyed the third floor and roof of the four-storey hotel, London Fire Brigade said.
Assistant commissioner Paul McCourt said: “Crews worked incredibly hard for over eight hours in arduous conditions.
“Presented with a complex fire in a historically significant building, formerly Manchester Square Fire Station, firefighters successfully contained the fire, preventing it from spreading to neighbouring properties.”
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
Around 100 people were evacuated and there were no injuries as a result of the blaze, which started shortly before 3pm on Friday and was tackled by around 125 firefighters.
Be the first to get Breaking News
Install the Sky News app for free
Read more from Sky News:
Driver charged over girl’s death
‘We can’t keep knives out of schools’
Woman shot dead on Valentine’s Day named
The venue’s bar and restaurant are popular with British stars, as well as celebrities visiting the capital.
Taylor Swift chose it for a night out after finishing her Wembley shows last year, while the likes of Tom Cruise and Kate Moss have also been spotted over the years.
