Three builders hospitalised in Wimbledon flat fire

Three builders were hospitalised after a block of flats with scaffolding around it caught fire.

Five fire engines and about 35 firefighters were called to a fire in Griffiths Road in Wimbledon at around 9.50am today.

Part of the roof of a four-storey block of flats was damaged by the fire, and the London Fire Brigade (LFB) said the sheeting around the scaffolding at the top of the building caused a large amount of smoke.

Station commander Dean Wilkinson, who was at the scene, said: “The fire was on the flat roof of a four-storey block of flats.

“Due to the sheeting around the scaffolding at the top of the building, the blaze produced a lot of smoke which prompted a high number of calls to our control room.

“Due to the sheeting it wasn’t immediately clear how much of the roof was involved in the fire. Once crews had accessed the roof they quickly extinguished the fire, which involved building materials, and were able to limit the damage.

“The three people taken to hospital were builders working on the roof and they were taken as a precaution due to the amount of smoke.”

LFB’s control officers took 11 calls about the blaze and said the fire was under control at around 11.15am

Fire crews from Norbury, Clapham, West Norwood and Fulham fire stations were at the scene.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Pictured top: Flat fire in Griffiths Road extinguished by the London Fire Brigade (Picture: LFB)