An electrical fault in Victorian tunnels beneath central London caused the massive underground fire that led to widespread disruption in Holborn, the London Fire Brigade (LFB) has confirmed. The blaze, which began on 1 April, took 36 hours to extinguish and resulted in the evacuation of around 5,000 people.
Investigators believe the fault damaged an eight-inch gas main, which ruptured and fuelled the fire. The incident caused thousands of properties to lose gas and electricity supplies, and forced eight theatres to cancel performances along with numerous restaurant closures. Traffic restrictions remain in place on both carriageways.
London Fire Commissioner Ron Dobson described the fire as technically difficult, highlighting the unseen risks beneath the capital. He noted that such large underground fires are rare and seldom cause injuries. The LFB used a Metropolitan Police helicopter with infra-red imaging to locate hotspots and deployed Scotland Yard's explosives robot to gather information from the tunnel.
Dobson warned that if the fire had not been extinguished before it was isolated, a build-up of gas could have led to possible explosions. The fire was not started deliberately, the LFB confirmed.
