Fire at Elephant and Castle

[ironjawcannon]

The buses are being diverted round Heygate. Cuming museum I think, the old town Hall, no one reported hurt but big fire.

[Renata Hamvas]

Thanks ironjawcannon

Reported on Southwark website, fire on Walworth Road, Cuming museum, library and one stop shop currently closed

Renata

[Laur]

LIBRARY HIT BY FIRE

Almost 100 firefighters and officers are tackling a "sizeable" fire at a library in south east London.

Part of the roof of the Newington Library on Walworth Road, Southwark, is on fire and the crews of 15 engines were expected to spend several hours putting out the blaze, the London Fire Brigade said.

Emergency services were called to the scene shortly after 12.30pm.

There are currently no indications of how the fire started and no injuries have been reported, a fire brigade spokesman added.

[Renata Hamvas]

The fire is above the one stop shop. This, the Library and the Cumings museum will remain closed. Everyone has been safely evacuated. The Southwark website will be updated with any further information.

The following bus routes are subject to diversion and delays in the area:

12,35,40,45,68,148,171,176,468 and P5

Renata

[James Barber]

All Southwark staff accounted for and safe and working at other libraries.

15 fire engines and 97 fire fighters there.

Please avoid the area.

[richard tudor]

Renata Hamvas Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> The fire is above the one stop shop. This, the

> Library and the Cumings museum will remain closed.

> Everyone has been safely evacuated. The Southwark

> website will be updated with any further

> information.

>

> The following bus routes are subject to diversion

> and delays in the area:

> 12,35,40,45,68,148,171,176,468 and P5

>

> Renata

How many one stop shops are open and where are they

[DJKillaQueen]

[DJKillaQueen]

It looks like a serious blaze. Did the building have a sprinkler system in place (James/ Renata)?

[Drackie]

Does anyone know what the traffic is like around the area and if you can go around the big roundabout?

[James Barber]

Fire fighters still there. No one has been injured but the museums collections are at risk and in an unknown state.

Four nearby buildings have been evacuated. One with 25 flats, 3 other houses who will be staying at relatives temporary accomodation.

Please avoid the area. A cordon has been apparently been introduced and that part of Walworth closed.

[richard tudor]

How many one stop shops are open and where are they

[James Barber]

Apparetnyl 20 fire engines and 120 fire fighters now there.

The area is cordoned of so please AVOID the area.

The fire brigade have stated "The wholr of the roof of a museum and librsary in Wanswey Stree,t Walworth, SE17 is on fire. At this stage, no injuries have been reported".

[snowy]

Have a look on the LB Southwark site Richard, unless it's just the start of you asking for them to be closed down?

[James Barber]

Latest update I've recieved at 17.10.

London Fire Brigade have advised Southwark Council that it will be several days before the building is returned to Southwark.

My interpretation is that this could mean the Walworth Road is closed or largely closed for several days. Please avoid the area.

It's unknown how much fire damage has occurred and will remain uncertain for a day or so.

[Penguin68]

this could mean the Walworth Road is closed or largely closed for several days. Please avoid the area.

A building is 'returned' when the fires are damped out completely, when any structural damage which threatens adjacent property/ roads is stablilised and when the necessary forensic examination has taken place. There were reports of possible contamination - those too would need to be sorted out, although the small area which has been evacuated suggests this may have been mis-reported.

Unless there is significant structural damage which threatens the road (there may well be), once the appliances have done their jobs and moved on, the road way (or most of it) can be re-opened. However, declaring a building safe as regards its surroundings and being safe internally - for the recovery of any items not burnt - is not the same thing - hence the traffic flow could be restored well before the building is deemed safe for hand-over.

[James Barber]

The London Fire Brigade has told the council as a minimum Walworth Road is closed until tomorrow.

[PeckhamRose]

I was on the 343 and it went down Walworth Road from Elephant but immediately diverted to the little road at the back by Elephant and Castle Station where it had to then go back to Elephant round-about and then went down New Kent Road then hung a right at East Street before joining it's proper route again. And breathe.

So I saw the fire close up and it was sad to see. Apparently nobody hurt, but books burning is a sad sad thing.

The ceramics in the Cuming Museum should be ok though?

[Dog duck]

Thought this section was specific to East Dulwich? Glad no injuries reported... I did witness billowing smoke though. Early reports suggest that ?4.99 worth of damage. Any suggestions as to how I might rid my hat and coat of the awful smoke smell?

[DJKillaQueen]

It's such a shame. Hopefully the damage to the museum's collection won't be too devastating. Will be curious to see what the cause was though.

[Bic Basher]

TfL are reporting on Twitter that Walworth Road has fully re-opened for buses.

[sedm]

I drove in this morning and Walworth Road seemed fine for cars too.

[lane lover]

I can also confirm that Walworth Road is fully re-opened for buses this morning.

I caught the 40 in this morning with no delays.

[James Barber]

But sadly the fire still appeared to be going.

[James Barber]

Ltest communication I've recieved

"

Update at 1120am

The fire is still burning and the fire brigade remain in control of the whole complex, including the library. As such, no council officers have been able to enter any of the premises. The council's building control is currently on site and the insurers are engaged. Wardens will remain around the site for reassurance purposes.

The initial assessment is that the whole building complex, including the library, is likely to be out of action for months. Every attempt will be made to bring services back on line from that building as quickly as possible, but the damage is extensive.

Arrangements are already being made for an alternative One Stop Shop to open nearby. Until then, customers are asked to access Peckham or Bermondsey and also use on line services. There is likely to be some disruption to the call centre due to technical equipment and telephone routes within Walworth town hall being affected by the fire. Technicians are working hard with customer services colleagues to minimise any disruption.

The library is closed and is likely to remain so for some months. This is because of expected water damage in the basement and also because the fire door leads in to a courtyard where there is severe damage from the fire. Again, a full assessment can't be made until council officers gain access. The borough archive is in the basement and there may have been some damage. Again, the full extent won't be known until the council has access.

In terms of museum artefacts, there are three galleries and artefacts have been recovered from one by the LFB and taken to nearby council premises for storage. Please note that at any time, only around 1% of the Cuming collection is out on display and it is believed that those items that are in storage should be ok, although there may be water damage. A full assessment will not take place until council officers can gain access. The council has a contract with disaster recovery assistance specialists and that has been activated. Museum staff are currently working from Tooley Street and where the rescued artefacts have gone in to temporary storage. Some staff are understandably very distressed and counselling has been made available and any personal possessions lost in the fire will be replaced.

In terms of the cause of the fire, the London Fire Brigade will not begin their investigations until the fire is out.

Thank you letters are going to local businesses who were very helpful and supportive of the council's response yesterday.

No buses remain on diversion.

The building will be made secure once the council is given back control.

"

[Borderlands]

So sad to see what has happened to my favourite building on Walworth Road. Used to use the library up there and the museum is simply delightful - even used the one-stop shop. Southwark doesn't have a very happy recent history of protecting their building stock from fire....

Really hope this is not the end for this magnificent structure and that whatever is left can be protected, restored, conserved or whatever is possible. It's a real cultural landmark and that it has survived as long must mean something - look at the appallingly badly-designed and plain ugly new builds (and trophy building) that now is allowed to overwhelm our borough.

And, of course, pleased that the London Fire Brigade has not yet been decimated by Boris Berlusconi Johnson's plans. Anyone witnessing this fire and how incredibly dangerous this situation can become so quickly should object to his proposals RIGHT AWAY via the London Fire Service website - especially as he is trying to prevent local consultation. And yes Southwark fire stations are in the firing line.... Doesn't bare thinking about.