Pictured: Huge blaze that broke out at electrical energy substation close to Heathrow – shutting the airport
This is the huge blaze that erupted at a substation less than two miles from London’s biggest airport.
The fire, which has such Heathrow for at least 24 hours, has left thousands of West London properties without power.
More than 70 firefighters and 10 fire engines rushed to the scene, on Nestles Avenue in Hayes, to tackle the blaze on Thursday evening.
Dramatic images show flames tearing through the structure as smoke billows into the night sky.
Roughly 150 people have been evacuated from the area and a 200-metre cordon has been put in place as a precaution.
Firefighters have advised local residents to keep their windows and doors closed to stop the ‘significant’ amount of smoke entering their homes.
One witness told LBC: ‘I was crossing a bridge and there was a huge explosion.’
Another posted a video of the blaze on X writing: ‘Scary scenes in Hayes. Power cut and massive fire.’
An electricity substation near Heathrow has caught fire – leaving thousands of West London properties without power and closing the airport
Dramatic images show flames tearing through the structure as smoke billows into the night sky
One witness told LBC: ‘I was crossing a bridge and there was a huge explosion.’
Roughly 150 people have been evacuated from the area and a 200-metre cordon has been put in place as a precaution
Shocking photos show the substation up in flames
Crews were called to the fire around 8pm
A local resident claims ‘all the power is out for the entire area up to Hounslow.’
Heathrow Airport put out a statement at 2am announcing the dreaded closure.
A spokeswoman said: ‘Heathrow is experiencing a significant power outage across the airport due to a large fire at a nearby electrical substation.
‘Whilst fire crews are responding to the incident, we do not have clarity on when power may be reliably restored.
‘To maintain the safety of our passengers and colleagues, we have no choice but to close Heathrow until 23h59 on 21 March 2025.
‘We expect significant disruption over the coming days and passengers should not travel to the airport under any circumstances until the airport reopens.
‘We will provide an update when more information on the resumption of operations is available. We know this will be disappointing for passengers and we want to reassure that we are working as hard as possible to resolve the situation.’
According to the Powertrack site, around 16,000 households are thought to be affected.
Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks confirmed the a large-scale power outage in the surrounding areas.
The London Fire Brigade said in a statement during the early hours of Friday: ‘Around 20 people have been evacuated from neighbouring properties and a 200-metre cordon has been put in place as a precaution with around 150 people evacuated.
‘The fire is producing a significant amount of smoke and local residents are advised to keep their windows and doors closed.
‘The Brigade’s Control Officers have taken almost 200 calls to the fire. The first call was received at 2323 and crews from Hayes, Heathrow, Hillingdon, Southall and surrounding fire stations were mobilised to the scene.’
The cause of the fire remains unknown.
No injuries have so far been reported.
