LONDON, March 21 (Bernama-PA Media/dpa) -- Heathrow Airport was set to be closed all day on Friday following a fire at an electrical substation supplying the airport, PA Media/dpa reported.
Thousands of homes have been left without power and more than 100 people have been evacuated as fire crews battled an electrical substation fire in west London which started late on Thursday.
London Fire Brigade said a transformer within the substation was alight with 10 fire engines and around 70 firefighters on the scene at Nestles Avenue in Hayes, in west London.
Around 150 people have been evacuated from surrounding properties and a 200-metre cordon has been put in place as a precaution.
Assistant commissioner Pat Goulbourne said: "This is a highly visible and significant incident, and our firefighters are working tirelessly in challenging conditions to bring the fire under control as swiftly as possible.
"The fire has caused a power outage affecting a large number of homes and local businesses, and we are working closely with our partners to minimise disruption."
Firefighters led 29 people from surrounding properties to safety.
The brigade said nearly 200 calls had been received in relation to the incident with crews from Hayes, Heathrow, Hillingdon, Southall and surrounding areas on the scene.
Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks said in a post on X there was a large-scale power outage in the area, impacting more than 16,300 homes.
"We're aware of a widespread power cut affecting many of our customers around the Hayes, Hounslow and surrounding areas," they said.
Emergency services were called to the scene at 11:23 pm (2323 GMT) on Thursday. The cause of the fire is yet to be determined.
Goulbourne said firefighters urged people to take safety precautions as crews worked to extinguish the blaze.
"This will be a prolonged incident, with crews remaining on scene throughout the night," he said.
"As we head into the morning, disruption is expected to increase, and we urge people to avoid the area wherever possible."
-- BERNAMA-PA Media/dpa
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