A major fire has broken out at a high-rise office block in Canary Wharf, with dramatic scenes showing smoke billowing from the rooftop.
The blaze started at around 5.13pm today inside an electrical intake room on the top floor of 25 Cabot Square — a 17-storey building currently occupied by Morgan Stanley.
Mass evacuation
The London Fire Brigade (LFB) confirmed that eight fire engines and around 60 firefighters rushed to the scene after receiving 15 emergency calls.
Hundreds of office workers were evacuated and stood on nearby pavements as ambulances, police and fire crews cordoned off Cabot Square. Security teams confirmed it will be “quite a long time until everyone is allowed back inside.”
Traffic has been brought to a halt around the tower, while access roads remain blocked to the public.
Eyewitness accounts
One employee told reporters:
“It’s an electrical fire on the roof. We’ve all been told to leave.”
Another witness said there were rumours the fire shaft may have spread through multiple levels of the building.
Images show grey smoke pouring from the top floor as firefighters scaled the building to contain the blaze.
Official statement
A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said:
“Eight fire engines and around 60 firefighters have been called to a fire in an electrical intake room on Cabot Square in Canary Wharf.
An electrical intake room on the top floor of the building is currently alight. The cause of the fire is not known at this stage.”
Crews from Poplar, Shadwell, Whitechapel, Plaistow, Dowgate, Euston, Dockhead, Shoreditch, Lewisham, and East Greenwich fire stations are attending.
The London Ambulance Service is also on site, though no injuries have yet been confirmed.
What we know so far
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Location: 25 Cabot Square, Canary Wharf
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Time of call: 5.13pm (21 August)
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Scale: 8 fire engines, 60 firefighters
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Cause: Electrical intake room blaze (top floor)
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Status: Building fully evacuated
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Occupants: Morgan Stanley offices
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Transport: Local roads closed, traffic halted
Next steps
The cause of the blaze remains under investigation. Emergency services are expected to remain at the scene into the evening.
