Build up of oils in restaurant causes blaze to rage through ground floor

A build up of fats and oils in a restaurant’s kitchen caught alight causing a fire to spread throughout the ground and second floor.

Six fire engines and around 40 firefighters tackled the blaze at a restaurant on Upper Richmond Road in Putney, yesterday afternoon.

The extraction system as well as the ground to the second floor of the building was destroyed by fire.

An extraction system ventilates a kitchen by controlling air flow. The fire is believed to have been accidental and caused by a build-up of fats and oils in the extraction system catching fire.

There were no injuries reported.

Firefighters used one of the London Fire Brigades (LFB) 32-metre turntable ladders at the scene to get a better view of the scene.

A LFB spokeswoman said: “We’d like to remind restaurant and takeaway owners to ensure they don’t have dirty ducting. 

“If you don’t clean the ducting in your extraction system regularly, you’re at a greater risk of ducting fires.”

The LFB was called at around 3.50pm and the fire was under control by around 6pm.

Firefighters from Twickenham, Chelsea, Chiswick, Fulham, Wandsworth and Hammersmith fire stations attended the scene.

Pictured top:  Firefighters using the 32-metre turntable ladder to et a better view of the scene (Picture: LFB)