Huge fire at west London electricity substation forces Heathrow closure and evacuations

Heathrow has been closed for the whole of Friday after a huge fire broke out at an electricity substation providing power to Europe’s busiest airport.

Around 70 firefighters are tackling the blaze in Hayes, which has prompted the evacuation of around 150 people and left swathes of west London without power.

Footage posted on social media shows flames shooting hundreds of feet into the air at the North Hyde electricity substation on Nettles Avenue in Hayes.

The London Fire Brigade claim to have received nearly 200 calls after reports of an large explosion at around 11.23pm on Thursday night (20 March).

The fire has affected hundreds of properties near Heathrow airport, with one user on X posting: "I’m at a hotel near Heathrow and we’re out of power," while another tweet read: "So this is why my Heathrow hotel has no power!"