Firefighters battle central London blaze
Tuesday, 29 Aug 2006 17:39
The fire is close to the Royal Academy of Arts
At least 60 firefighters are tackling a large fire in a building close to the Royal Academy of Arts in central London.
The fire, which is spread across three floors of a building on Burlington Gardens in Piccadilly, has caused large plumes of smoke to drift across the capital.
London Fire Brigade (LFB) said that 12 fire engines had been deployed to deal with the fire after an emergency call was received at 13:40 BST.
"Crews are currently working to bring the fire under control and stop it from spreading," a statement from LFB said.
However the blaze has already caused "significant damage" to the building's roof.
Furthermore substantial traffic disruption around Regent Street, Bond Street and Piccadilly has occurred all afternoon, although buses have been permitted to continue their usual routes.
Londoners having to deal with railway delays this morning caused by striking workers from South West Trains could face further delays on their journey home this evening.