Croydon: Dozens evacuated as crews tackle fire at block of flats
- Published
The blaze spread to four floors within the five-storey block of flats
About 80 people were evacuated from a block of flats after a fire spread through three floors in south London.
A witness reported seeing adults and children running from the five-storey building in Whitehorse Road, Croydon.
Ambulance crews treated one man and one woman at the scene.
Some 60 firefighters spent nearly two hours putting out the blaze, which started at 17:00 BST. London Fire Brigade said the cause was not yet known.
Two flats and two balconies on the first and second floors of the building were destroyed by fire. Most of a third-floor flat and balcony were also damaged.
Two people were treated at the scene by paramedics
Station commander Chris Young said: "Around 80 people left the building, thankfully uninjured.
"Road closures are expected to be in place for a number of hours this evening and we're urging people to avoid the local area."
The fire caused traffic queues in the area
Witness Allan Brown, 44, who lives and works in Croydon, said: "From where I was standing, which was quite close at one point, many residents, including children, could be seen running from the building's lower floor, with some residents trying to get back into the building.
"This was before the fire department arrived with the first two engines. There were residents leaving the building and trying to get back into it, but the blaze was very high.
"We had to clear the area due [to] the smoke that filled the area."
The LFB sent eight engines to the scene, with police and ambulance crews also responding.
The brigade said it received more than 40 calls about the fire, with crews from Croydon, Woodside, Wallington and surrounding fire stations deployed to the scene.
An LAS spokesperson said it sent an ambulance crew, an incident response officer and members of our Hazardous Area Response Team in response.
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