An inferno ripped through the rooftop of a building on Kensington High Street in London early Monday morning, prompting a large response from the fire brigade. Around 80 firefighters and 12 fire engines were dispatched to the scene shortly after midnight, battling the blaze in a plant room on the roof of the nine-storey building, identified as Kensington Roof Gardens, a popular private members' club and celebrity haunt that also houses an Equinox gym.
Approximately 40 people evacuated the building before firefighters arrived, and fortunately, there were no reported injuries. Firefighters utilized a 32-metre turntable ladder as an observation tower to gain an aerial view of the fire.
The blaze was brought under control by 3:36 am, with crews remaining on-site to dampen down hotspots. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.
Kensington Roof Gardens, a venue with a history dating back to the 1930s and once owned by Richard Branson's Virgin group, had recently reopened in 2024 after closing in 2018. A spokesperson for The Roof Gardens confirmed the fire occurred in an external area on the sixth floor, that no one was hurt, and that there was no interior fire damage, with plans to reopen in a few days after safety checks.