Chiltern Firehouse Blaze: Firefighters Tackle Fire at Celebrity Hotspot in London

A fire broke out at the Chiltern Firehouse, a five-star hotel and popular celebrity venue in Marylebone, central London, on Friday. Scores of firefighters responded to the blaze, which took more than five hours to bring under control. Approximately 100 guests and staff were evacuated from the building. No injuries were reported.

The London Fire Brigade (LFB) was called to the scene at 2.52pm. Twenty fire engines and around 125 firefighters were deployed from stations across London, including Euston, Kensington and Chelsea, Paddington, Soho, and West Hampstead.

Fire Details and Response

The fire started on the ground floor in the ducting of the Grade II-listed building, a former Victorian fire station. It then spread to the second and third floors and the roof. Firefighters used an aerial platform to pump water onto the blaze, which produced thick black smoke that billowed from the roof. One firefighter near the scene said the fire was “completely under control” by 9:30 PM, but that the four-storey hotel would likely need a “large refurbishment”.

The LFB confirmed that the cause of the fire is currently unknown. Crews remained on scene overnight, damping down hotspots and ensuring the fire did not spread to neighboring properties. A cordon was put in place, preventing access to the streets surrounding the hotel.

Chiltern Firehouse: A Celebrity Hotspot

The Chiltern Firehouse is owned by Andre Balazs, who also owns Hollywood’s Chateau Marmont. The hotel and restaurant are known as a celebrity hotspot, having hosted A-listers such as Dua Lipa, Lady Gaga, Tom Cruise, Johnny Depp, Taylor Swift, Kate Moss, Bill Clinton, Bono, David Cameron, Keira Knightley, Lindsay Lohan, Madonna and Naomi Campbell. Shortly after opening in 2014, the restaurant was reported to be “single-handedly feeding the celebrity sections of the tabloids”.

The venue was due to host the Netflix party for the Bafta awards ceremony on Sunday. However, owner Andre Balazs confirmed that the Chiltern Firehouse will “remain closed until further notice”.

Eyewitness Accounts

An eyewitness reported that the fire had “started in the kitchen” and then “went upstairs”. They added, “The restaurant was emptied and there [were] lots of very glamorous people milling around outside, shivering. They were very smartly dressed and I don’t think they expected to be waiting in the cold … You can smell the smoke outside but I did not see any flames.”

Another eyewitness, Guy Fischman, 23, who works nearby, said he saw “the whole street full of smoke”. He added, “There was really thick smoke and it got into the other street as well … the visibility was awful.”

Owner’s Statement

Andre Balazs expressed his gratitude to the firefighters, stating: “It is with heartfelt gratitude and appreciation that we watched a remarkable 120 firefighters from [more than] 14 stations rapidly descend on what they told me was a hugely sentimental building for so many of them. We know in fact one of those who rushed to the Chiltern Firehouse this evening had been stationed in the building when it was a fire station 30 years ago. I am truly grateful to all of them as I am sure that this is not the Valentine’s Day evening they had in mind.” He confirmed that no one had been hurt and that the cause of the fire was under investigation.