A spokesperson from the fire brigade confirmed that crews are ‘expected to be on scene for a number of hours’
A squadron of 70 firefighters and 10 fire engines have descended on a derelict sports centre in South London, with crews ‘expected to be on scene for a number of hours’. The London Fire Brigade were initially alerted to the blaze on Imperial Way in Croydon just before 4.30pm on Monday (March 2), with five separate calls coming through to the switchboard to alert them to the fire. As a result, crews were dispatched to the scene from Croydon, Purley, Wallington, Norbury, Mitcham brigades, as well a surrounding fire stations. Upon arrival, firefighters found most of the two-storey building was alight. There are currently no reports of any injuries.
Ensure our latest headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as your Preferred Source in your Google search settings. The fire service deployed two of the brigade’s 32-metre tall turntable ladders, which were used at the scene as water towers to tackle flames from height. Drones were also deployed to survey the incident from above, providing both live and thermal imagery of the blaze. The drone footage allowed incident commanders at the scene a crucial aerial view of the fire, which helped them develop tactics to beat the blaze into submission.
Their tactics ultimately won out, with the fire brought under control just before 10pm. Station Commander Tony Perks, said from the scene that while the fire may be under control, that doesn’t mean that the battle is over. “Crews are expected to be at the scene of the fire throughout the night damping down remaining hot spots,” he said, before urging nearby residents to keep their windows and doors firmly closed as crews continue to make the scene safe. “The fire was producing smoke in the area, and we advised local residents and businesses to keep windows and doors closed,” he said. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
