Blaze Engulfs BBC’s Former Headquarters in West London

Published: 06 September 2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online.

A major fire broke out in the early hours of Saturday at the former BBC headquarters in London’s White City, sending plumes of smoke into the night sky and prompting a large-scale emergency response. The London Fire Brigade (LFB) confirmed that around 100 firefighters and 15 fire engines were deployed shortly after 3am to battle the blaze at the nine-storey Helios Building, part of the iconic Television Centre complex.

Photographs from the scene show flames tearing through the upper levels of the building, which has since been redeveloped into a combination of residential flats, a restaurant, a gym and a hotel. The LFB reported that the fire was concentrated on the upper floors, with a restaurant, external decking and ducting already alight. An unknown number of apartments are believed to have been affected.

Fire crews from Hammersmith, North Kensington, Kensington and Chiswick rushed to the scene, while two 32-metre turntable ladders were deployed as water towers to douse the flames from above. Authorities confirmed that the exact cause of the blaze remains unknown at this stage.

As a precautionary measure, nearby buildings were evacuated by the fire brigade and the Metropolitan Police. A rest centre was established for displaced residents, while the London Ambulance Service dispatched an ambulance crew, an incident response officer and a hazardous area response team. One individual was treated at the scene, though no fatalities have been reported.

The fire service issued a statement explaining that crews would remain on site for several hours to fully extinguish the blaze and assess damage to the upper levels of the building. Several roads in the White City area remain closed, and local residents and commuters have been urged to avoid the area while emergency operations continue.

The Helios Building, once a central feature of the BBC’s White City headquarters, now accommodates 162 homes, a gym and a 47-bedroom hotel. The Television Centre itself had served as the BBC’s home until 2013, when the broadcaster relocated to Broadcasting House in Portland Place. The fire has reignited memories of the building’s historic role in British broadcasting, even as it stands transformed as part of a modern residential and commercial hub.