Around 80 firefighters battled a major blaze at a restaurant in central London after a fire spread into ducting and threatened homes above the premises. The London Fire Brigade was called to Leather Lane, Clerkenwell, at 5.42am on Thursday 16 July, mobilising 12 fire engines and crews from Soho, Euston, Islington and surrounding fire stations. Firefighters found a fire inside a ground floor restaurant which had spread through the building’s ducting system and into residential properties above. Residents of the three-storey building had evacuated before firefighters arrived, while neighbouring properties were also evacuated as a precaution. Two of the Brigade’s 32-metre turntable ladders were deployed to tackle the flames from above as crews worked to prevent the fire spreading further. The incident led to the closure of Leather Lane and surrounding roads, causing significant traffic disruption throughout the morning. Firefighters urged the public to avoid the area while emergency services remained at the scene. By 11am, the London Fire Brigade confirmed the blaze had been brought under control. A spokesperson said: “The fire on Leather Lane has now been extinguished. “The fire destroyed a ground floor shop and the roof of the building, as well as a loft extension. There are no reports of any injuries. “Leather Lane remains closed while crews dampen down hotspots – avoid the area if you can.” The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
