Fire Breaks Out in London Maisonette, Quick Evacuation Saves the Day
A blaze broke out in a small section of a three-room split-level maisonette on the fifth floor of a five-story apartment block. Around 30 residents evacuated before the fire brigade arrived, with no injuries reported.
Cause: Self-Heating Textiles Spark Fire
The fire is believed to have started accidentally due to self-heating textiles. These fires often involve tea towels, tablecloths, or chef whites contaminated with oils like linseed, massage, or cooking oil, a London Fire Brigade spokesperson explained.
“When materials are washed, dried on a hot tumble cycle, then folded and stacked, trapped heat can build up, causing smouldering and ignition,” the spokesperson warned.
They added: “Always use the tumble dryer’s cooling cycle to let heat dissipate before stacking laundered items.”
Firefighters Swiftly Contain Blaze
The fire department was called at 9.07pm, with firefighters from Islington, Shoreditch, Euston, and Whitechapel arriving promptly. The fire was extinguished by 9.47pm, preventing further damage.
