London Fire Brigade teams up with police and National Grid to investigate substation inferno that crippled Europe’s busiest airport and disrupted global air traffic.
London, March 22 – A massive fire that erupted at an electrical substation near Heathrow Airport late Thursday night, sending flames and smoke towering into the sky, is now under joint investigation by the London Fire Brigade and Metropolitan Police, authorities confirmed on Friday.
The blaze, which broke out around 11 p.m. GMT, involved a transformer containing 25,000 litres of cooling oil, creating an oil-fueled inferno that posed a significant hazard due to still-active high-voltage equipment.
“The fire involved a transformer comprising 25,000 litres of cooling oil fully alight,” said Jonathan Smith, Deputy Commissioner of the London Fire Brigade. “This created a major hazard due to the still-live high voltage equipment and the nature of the oil-fueled fire.”
The incident forced a near-total shutdown of Heathrow Airport, Europe’s busiest hub, paralyzing flight schedules and stranding thousands of passengers. The global ripple effect has led to widespread delays, rerouted flights, and growing pressure to identify the root cause of the emergency.
Though the dramatic visuals and scale of the incident sparked fears of sabotage or terrorism, UK Energy Minister Ed Miliband stated there is currently “no suggestion of foul play.” When asked directly if it was being treated as a terrorist incident, Smith declined to comment, reiterating only that the Metropolitan Police were leading the probe, supported by fire investigators.
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As of Friday evening, Smith confirmed that 10% of the original blaze remains active, and teams are continuing their efforts to fully extinguish the fire and assess the damage in collaboration with National Grid engineers.
“We are working closely with the National Grid to assess the site, determine the cause, and safely restore power,” Smith added.
Heathrow’s operations remain partially suspended, with authorities urging travelers to check flight statuses and avoid the airport unless absolutely necessary.
