House fire - Acton

Eight fire engines and around 60 firefighters were called to a house fire on Western Avenue in Acton. 

The roof of a mid-terrace house was destroyed and most of the first floor and half of the ground floor were damaged by fire. Part of the loft conversion of an adjacent property was also damaged by the blaze. There were no reports of any injuries.

Residents were alerted to the fire when they heard a loud bang followed by smoke alarms fitted inside the property sounding. Eight people then left the property before the Brigade arrived and a further 17 people left neighbouring properties.

The Brigade's 999 Control Officers took 13 calls to the blaze.

Station Commander Lucy Macleod-Cook, who was at the scene, said: "Firefighters worked quickly to bring the fire under control.

"The A40 was closed going into London from the A406 at Hanger Lane and we urged people to avoid the area and use an alternative route.

"Local people were advised to close their windows and doors due to smoke in the area."

The Brigade's Fire Investigators believe the fire was caused by faulty lithium-ion battery cells. 

Firefighters' top 3 tips for using lithium-ion batteries safely

1. Avoid storing, using or charging batteries at very high or low temperatures.
2. Protect batteries against being damaged – that's crushed, punctured or immersed in water.
3. Don’t leave items continuously on charge after the charge cycle is complete

The Brigade was called at 0805 and the fire was under control by 0957. Fire crews from Park Royal, Wembley, Acton and surrounding fire stations attended the scene.