Newington Green fire explosion fears lead to evacuation
Anxious residents were evacuated from their Stoke Newington homes on Saturday, amid fears of a gas explosion as a fire ravaged a nearby warehouse.
The fire broke out just before 9am inside a carpenter’s storage building in Green Lanes.
Six propane gas cylinders were found in the building, which can explode when exposed to heat.
Surrounding residents as well as staff from the Tesco store were evacuated behind a 200m cordon.
It took 20 fire fighters three hours to get the fire under control, by which time the storage building was completely destroyed.
You may also want to watch:
One witness said the flames towered above the surrounding three storey buildings.
Kneale Chapman, 32, who lives nearby, said: “We thought they were going to evacuate us, but we just about got away with it.
Most Read
- 1 Hackney tenant who was left 'terrified' for years reaches court settlement
- 2 Lower Clapton blaze damages maisonette
- 3 Jealous Dalston murderer stabbed victim through his heart with scissors
- 4 Community lifelines: Volunteer 'superheroes' feed Hackney people in need
- 5 Parents raise thousands for home-learning supplies in Hackney and London
- 6 Police issue fines worth £15,000 after suspected illegal rave in Hackney
- 7 Empty Hoxton car parks and garages to be turned into homes
- 8 Sawing-in-half trick reaches century since first show in Finsbury Park
- 9 Hackney reviewing whether court ruling impacts low-traffic neighbourhoods
- 10 Hackney mother seeks compensation after living with mice infestation
“We were keeping a close eye on the fire in case it started getting too near the house.”
“The sound of the hoses woke us up rather than the sirens - it sounded like they were spraying my window. It was a bit of a shock on Saturday morning.”
Buses were on diversion as Green Lanes was shut from the Newington Green roundabout for eight hours until nearly 5pm.
Arsenal Football Club warned soccer fans travelling to its match of traffic disruption and advised them to allow extra time for their journey.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
