Around 70 firefighters and 10 fire engines were sent to tackle the blaze near Union Street, Southwark. Footage from the scene shows large clouds of thick black smoke rising into the air where the blaze broke out. The London Fire Brigade said the fire was producing “heavy smoke” and advised those living nearby to keep their windows and doors closed. Have you been affected by the fire? Contact [email protected] to share your story. The fire broke out near the railway arches south of the River Thames (LFB) The agency said it received more than 30 calls from concerned members of the public, with the first call at around 9.30am. Many buildings have been evacuated. One student said she had to use a face mask to protect herself from the fumes created by the fire. Lauren Chopin, who lives in an apartment a two-minute walk from the fire, helped put on a mask in her apartment because of the fumes. “There’s a lot of smoke all over Union Street and neighboring streets, there’s a lot of emergency fire services trying to put the fire out,” the 20-year-old said. “Sometimes it slows down and the smoke gets whiter, to be followed by another huge burst of black smoke … we’ve closed all the doors and windows to limit the amount of smoke coming in.” A woman said she was evacuated from her workplace as a result of “thick, black smoke billowing” from a railway arch in Southwark. Hanushe Lala, from Streatham in south London, said: “I was in a meeting at around 9.44am when the alarms started going off and everyone was looking around to see if it was real. We were then told to leave the building. .” The 24-year-old, who works in facilities management, added: “Everything is blocked off and there is thick, black smoke pouring out of the arch. “All the buildings around us have been evacuated… about half an hour ago the place was full of people, but now everyone is starting to leave because they told us they won’t let us come back for a while. The fire is so bad and it’s getting worse.” Network Rail said trains to and from London Bridge station were affected by the fire. The rail operator said in a statement: “A fire broke out in an arch under (the) railway. “The London Fire Brigade are on the scene with multiple pumps and we have closed the railway until we can confirm it is safe.” “We are working with the London Fire Brigade and will need to inspect the railway once the fire is out before we can reopen. Thank you for bearing with us.” Southeastern rail said a fire had “severely disrupted” all services across London Bridge. A spokesman tweeted: “Due to a trackside fire between Waterloo East and London Bridge, services on all routes via London Bridge are severely disrupted. “Trains are being diverted to other London terminals or terminating at alternative locations.” LFB Station Commander Wayne Johnson, who is at the scene, said: “The fire is producing heavy smoke and those who live or work in the area are advised to keep their windows and doors closed. “Trains to and from London Bridge are affected and many buildings have been evacuated.”
