What happened
On Thursday (October 16) at 6.27pm, firefighters were called to reports of a fire at a property housing Finches Emporium, a well-known skiing and snowboarding store.
Fifteen fire engines and around 100 firefighters attended the scene, with crews from Forest Hill, Lewisham, Beckenham, West Norwood, and surrounding stations.
The building and the damage
The fire involved a mixed-use building with a shop on the ground floor and flats above.
According to the London Fire Brigade, the fire affected the basement, ground, first, and second floors of the property.
A single-storey workshop to the rear of the shop was also partially alight.
By 11.10pm, parts of the ground floor, first and second floors, and basement were still burning.
The fire was brought under control at 11.44pm, though crews were expected to remain on site overnight to fully extinguish hotspots.
Evacuations and safety
Around 15 people were evacuated from nearby buildings and taken to a rest centre.
There have been no reports of injuries at this time.
Station Commander Anthony Lewis, who is leading the response, described it as a “protracted incident,” and advised residents to keep windows and doors closed due to smoke in the area.
A 25-metre safety cordon remains in place, and authorities have urged the public to avoid the area.
Travel disruption
The fire caused significant traffic disruption across Forest Hill, particularly on the A205 South Circular Road.
Rail services via Forest Hill station were also affected.
The firefighting effort
Two 32-metre turntable ladders were used as water towers to fight the flames from above.
A drone was deployed to give incident commanders an aerial view of the scene and help coordinate the response.
What’s next
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined and will be investigated.
The London Fire Brigade has said that further updates will be provided today (October 17).
