Six fire engines and around 35 firefighters and officers dealt with a fire at a restaurant on Edgware Road in Paddington this evening.
The ground floor of the restaurant was badly damaged by fire and smoke. The restaurant's ducting - its extraction system - from the ground floor to the roof was also affected by the blaze.
A man who was inside the restaurant suffered from smoke inhalation and was treated on scene by London Ambulance Service crews. A total of around 70 people were evacuated from the restaurant, neighbouring businesses and flats.
Station Manager Andy Walton who was at the scene said:
“Police assisted 5 people from the restaurant and a further ten from neighbouring businesses before the arrival of the Brigade. A number of other people from the flats above the restaurant also left the building.
“Crews wearing breathing apparatus searched the building to find out exactly where within the extraction system the fire was located, and a turntable ladder ensured we could access the top of the system.”
The cause of the fire is believed to be accidental, due to cooking which spread through the ducting.
A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: “Restaurant and take-away owners should always take care to make sure their extraction systems are kept clean as a build up of fat and grease within the filters can lead to a fire.”
The Brigade was called at 1707 and the fire was under control by 2026. Fire crews from Euston, Paddington, Whitechapel, North Kensington and Kensington fire stations attended the scene.