A fire broke out early yesterday morning (20th January) at a laundry warehouse on Jackson Way in Southall, prompting a swift response from firefighters.
Four fire engines and approximately 25 firefighters were dispatched to the scene after Control Officers received a call at 4:16am. Fire crews from Southall, Ealing, and Acton fire stations responded and successfully extinguished the fire by 5:17am.
The fire, which occurred on the first floor of the warehouse, was brought under control with no reported injuries. According to initial investigations, the cause of the fire was determined to be accidental, resulting from the self-heating of textiles.
A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: “These types of fires often involve textiles that become contaminated with oil, most commonly linseed, massage and cooking oil on tea towels, tablecloths and chef whites. Make sure you check the manufacturer’s cleaning recommendations of your textiles before washing.
“Sometimes when materials are cleaned and put in tumble dryers, the heat from the tumble drying cannot escape. This can result in a high enough temperature allowing it to build up to a point where it smoulders and eventually ignites.
“If you are washing and then drying on a hot cycle, always use the cooling cycle on the tumble dryer so it cools down and allow the heat to dissipate properly, before stacking laundered items together.”
