'Horrendous' smell blankets central London during blaze

Firefighters tackled a fire that closed roads and spread smoke across central London's skyline yesterday.

Around 40 firefighters were sent to Tottenham Street in Euston after the blaze broke out in a mixed-use building in the area, according to the London Fire Brigade.

It added that the fire had developed onto an atrium-style conservatory, which was toward the roof of the building, and that most of the ground floor was damaged by the fire. Smoke was visible for kilometers across a clear morning in central London, according to residents.

On X, a commenter said the area was "full of smoke and it absolutely stinks here."

A woman was rescued from the building by firefighters wearing breathing apparatus using a fire escape hood, which usually provide some 15 minutes of filtered air in smoke-filled environments.

Investigations into the cause of the fire was still ongoing.

BBC reporter Gem O'Reilly described the smell of the smoke as "horrendous" and "like burning chemicals."

It was a "toxic and acrid" smell, added a resident.

The London Ambulance Service, according to a BBC report, said its first paramedic arrived at the scene less than two minutes after the emergency alert was received.

"We sent a number of resources to the scene, including ambulance crews and members of our Hazardous Area Response Team," a spokesperson said. "We treated one patient at the scene and took her to hospital."

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