A fire broke out at The Roof Gardens, a private members' club in Kensington, west London, in the early hours of Monday. Twelve fire engines and around 80 firefighters were called to the scene at around 1am to tackle the blaze, which destroyed a plant room on the roof of the nine-storey building.
No injuries were reported, and approximately 40 people evacuated the building before the London Fire Brigade arrived. The club, known for hosting celebrity events attended by stars such as Idris Elba, Jude Law and Nicole Kidman, is located on Kensington High Street and also houses an Equinox gym and offices for the Daily Mail and Metro.
A spokesperson for The Roof Gardens confirmed that the fire was in an external area on the sixth floor and caused no fire damage inside the building. Safety checks are being carried out, and the club hopes to reopen within the next few days. The spokesperson thanked the Kensington and Chelsea fire teams for their swift response.
The London Fire Brigade used a 32-metre turntable ladder as an observation tower to provide an aerial view of the fire. The first call was received at 0057, and the fire was under control by 0336. Crews from Kensington, Hammersmith, Chelsea and surrounding fire stations attended the incident.
Originally opened in 1938, The Roof Gardens was open to the public until January 2018, when Virgin Limited Edition was unable to renew the lease. It reopened as a private members' club in 2024. Kensington and Chelsea Council confirmed that specialists will support ongoing safety checks and thanked the fire brigade for their response.
