Counter Terrorism Command officers from SO15 are working alongside fire investigation teams from London Fire Brigade (LFB) to determine the cause of a major explosion at a high-voltage substation near Heathrow Airport late last night.
At 23:23 on Wednesday evening (20 March), London Fire Brigade received over 200 emergency calls reporting a fire and explosion at the power station. The blaze involved a transformer containing 25,000 litres of cooling oil, which ignited in a dramatic and highly hazardous incident.
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Due to the presence of live high-voltage equipment and the intensity of the oil-fuelled fire, the situation posed serious risk to emergency crews. At 00:42, the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) formally declared a major incident.
This remains a very visible and significant incident,” a spokesperson for LFB said. Our firefighters worked tirelessly in extremely challenging conditions to bring the fire under control. As of this morning, approximately 10% of the fire remains alight, and we are continuing to work with engineers from SSE to safely bring the situation to a close.
At the height of the incident, ten fire engines, two Bulk Foam Units, and a High Volume Pump were deployed — involving around 70 LFB personnel. The first fire crews arrived on the scene within five minutes of being mobilised.
The fire and resulting power outage have caused significant disruption across west London. Approximately 67,000 homes initially lost power, with around 5,000 properties still without electricity as of Thursday morning. Heathrow Airport was also affected, with Terminals 2 and 4 still without power, leading to flight delays and rerouted planes overnight.
In coordination with the Metropolitan Police, a 200-metre safety cordon was established, and 29 people were evacuated from nearby properties. Around 150 people were taken to a rest centre as a precaution.
LFB has confirmed that specialist fire investigators, scientific advisers, and officers from SO15 are now on site to examine the cause of the fire. While there is currently no indication of foul play, authorities have stressed the importance of a thorough investigation given the scale and location of the explosion.
“Restoring power remains our top priority,” LFB stated. “We are supporting National Grid engineers as they assess the site and work towards full restoration.”
Officials have urged members of the public to continue avoiding the area while recovery efforts continue. Disruption to transport and power services is expected to persist throughout the day.
A senior LFB official added: “I want to thank our firefighters and control officers for their courage and professionalism in bringing this dangerous incident under control. Their dedication in such hazardous conditions was exceptional.”
Further updates are expected later today as the investigation progresses.
