Evacuated residents from their houses near Heathrow told about the moment that houses 'shake' while a fire flooded a local substation – cut off electricity to the airport and 16,000 houses.
Dramatic videos show flames and smoke wavy in the air during the Inferno, which broke out last night at 11.30 pm in the suburb of Hayes in London.
Vaneca Sinclair was about to go to bed when 'there was suddenly a huge bang and the house just shook'. The 64-year-old thought something had crashed against the wall, but saw flames after opening the front door.
After they were running through the street and realized that the substation was on fire, the police were told that she was coming back home and taking her possessions before evacuating to a nearby Premier Inn.
Her neighbor, Savita Kapur, 51, also ran from her house after hearing the first explosion.
“I literally ran out of the house,” she told the BBC. 'I have an older mother who is in the 80s and not very good at all; I had to guide her in my car and remove her from the area and drop her to my sisters.
“When I drove my way, the second explosion went off and the whole ground shook.”
Another local resident, Rebecca, said she had been in her garden when she heard an explosion and 'illuminates' heaven.
Dramatic videos show flames and smoke wavy into heaven during the Inferno, which broke out at 11.30 pm in the suburb of Hayes in London last night
The big fire forced the closure of Heathrow, one of the busiest hub airports in the world
The smoldering substation this morning, with care providers on site
The fire brigade said that about 10 percent of the fire was still burning this morning
“I called my other half that was inside and said,” Did you hear that bang? ” she said.
“He looked outside and saw all our neighbors come out to see what was going on.
“It was a huge heat and the bang was like a huge explosion. Heaven lifted up. '
Rebecca and her partner walked to the nearby North Hyde Road – just a stone's throw from the substation that was on fire.
She added: 'We stood there and we could feel the heat on our faces because the fire was so large.
'There were so many people and fire engines, police and ambulance – it was very scary.
“We heard that they evacuated people who were closer, but luckily we are safe.”
Delivery driver Adeel Anwar said that the heat and the rolling of smoke from the fire were 'absolutely apocalyptic'.
The fire broke out last night around 11.30 pm on the substation
Dramatic images show flames that tear through the structure while smoking waves in the night sky
He told Sky News that while he drove past the substation “I just felt the heat – I just tried to get out of the area as quickly as possible.”
Matthew Muirhead worked a night shift on Thursday when he saw that smoke was running out of the electric substation.
“We saw a clear flash of white and all the lights in the city went out,” said the 42-year-old.
'It was 11.30 pm when we saw it, we went to West Drayton, so we went to see it, we heard the sirens when we were on our way to Bulls Bridge Roundabout.
'We saw a clear flash of white and all the lights in the city went out.
“My wife called me and told me that our electricity was out – I found out a few hours later that Heathrow was completely closed.”
A resident who lived in the Hayes area who did not want to be called, told the PA press agency that she heard a 'massive explosion' just before midnight.
“All strength went off, it just smelled of burning,” she said, adding that it was difficult to work out where exactly the fire was.
A witness told LBC: “I was crossing a bridge and there was a huge explosion.”
Hundreds of people were evacuated from the area and a 200 -meter cordon
About 150 people were evacuated from the area after the fire of the London Fire Brigade.
Scientific advisers were brought to the scientific to check the air quality in the area because of the 'significant smoke', said Assistant Commissioner Pat Goulbourne of the fire brigade.
From 11 a.m. around 10 percent of the fire are still burning, the fire brigade said.
Residents are 'strongly advised' to keep their windows and doors closed.
About 100,000 houses were without electricity as a result of the fire near Heathrow, according to energy secretary Ed Miliband, adding that this had now been brought to 4,000 after the fire was brought under control.
Hillingdon Council said this morning that most evacuees have spread and made their own arrangements.
They said the council helps 12 people with hotel accommodation until it is safe to return home.
Six local schools are closed after the substation fire, said Hillingdon Council.
An update on the municipality's website said that Nestles Avenue Early Years Center, Pinkwell Children's Center, Pinkwell Primary School, Botwell House Catholic Primary School, Dr. Triplett's C from E Primary School and the Global Academy were all closed.
The fire has switched off the current of the airport and 16,300 houses in West London and 16,300 houses
The London Ambulance Service said there had been no victims or someone who was treated for injuries at the site of the fire.
Reaction teams of dangerous area area and an incident response officer are currently on site, they said.
“We are currently supporting colleagues for emergency services at the place of a fire in Hayes,” said a spokesperson.
“Try to avoid the area and, if you live in the area, stay inside and keep the windows closed.”
Energie -Secretary Ed Miliband said that National Grid told him that they had not seen 'something like the scale' of what happened to the 'Ernst' of the fire.
“But it makes Heathrow quite vulnerable and that is why we have to learn lessons, as I say, not just about Heathrow, but how we protect our large infrastructure,” he told ITV's Good Morning Britain.
Mr. Miliband said the fire seems to have turned off a backup generator and the substation itself. “
He told BBC Radio 4's Today's Program: “It's too early to say what this caused, but I think we will of course have to look carefully at the causes and also the protection and resilience that is present for large institutions such as Heathrow.”
