Six fire engines and around 40 firefighters were called to a fire at a hotel in Prince’s Square, in Bayswater, shortly after 6pm yesterday (January 6).
Around 140 people were evacuated from the building before fire crews arrived, while five people were assessed by the London Ambulance Service at the scene for smoke inhalation.
The fire destroyed part of a room in the basement of the hotel.
Crews from Kensington, Paddington, North Kensington and Soho fire stations were able to bring the blaze under control by 7.26pm.
The London Fire Brigade (LFB) are treating the fire as accidental, and believe it was caused by the failure of a lithium-ion battery.
A spokesperson for the LFB warned people to always use the correct chargers for lithium batteries and to buy them from reputable sellers.
The spokesperson said: “You should unplug your charger when you have finished using it and we would advise not to leave it unattended or charging while people are asleep.
“Batteries can present a fire risk if they’re over-charged, short circuited, submerged in water or damaged, so it’s really important to protect them against being damaged too.
“Try to ensure they are not getting knocked around while in use or while being carried as this can increase the chance of damage to cells.”
