Blaze at West Drayton Garden Centre: 100 Firefighters Battle Huge Fire
Nearly 100 firefighters raced to tackle a massive fire ripping through a two-storey garden centre on Holloway Lane, West Drayton, this evening. Flames engulfed most of the building, forcing crews to set up a 300-metre safety cordon around the scene.
Quick-Thinking Crew Prevent Explosion
About 20 customers evacuated the garden centre before fire crews arrived, and thankfully, no injuries have been reported. Station Manager Sanjay Prasad praised the firefighters’ efforts, saying: “Firefighters worked very hard in difficult conditions to bring this incident under control.”
The danger was high due to numerous gas cylinders stored onsite, which could have exploded under intense heat. But smart moves by the crew saved the day — firefighters dragged most cylinders away from the flames, preventing a potential disaster.
They then doused the remaining cylinders with heavy water jets to keep them cool. Fireworks stored at the centre also posed a threat, but fire crews soaked the area to stop any sparks from igniting them.
Firefighters Contain Damage, Keep Public Safe
Most of the garden centre building was badly damaged, but crews successfully stopped the fire spreading any further. Fifteen fire engines and two aerial ladder platforms from stations including Heathrow, Hayes, Feltham, and Southall tackled the blaze.
The blaze was visible for miles, with the Brigade Control receiving around 20 calls. The fire broke out at 16:33 and was brought under control at 21:31, though firefighters remained at the scene well into the night damping down hotspots.
Cause Still Unknown
The cause of the fire remains under investigation as authorities continue their inquiries.
