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Central Fire in London: Dean Street Building (Photos)

by Jordan Yerman | July 10, 2009 at 06:40 am

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A four-story office building in Dean Street, Soho, Central London, has caught fire. Over 100 firefighters responded to battle the blaze. Dean street is a popular tourist- and shopping district in the city center. Smoke is visible from the surrounding streets, and eyewitness photos are starting to appear.

The fire broke out in the basement of the building, according to the fire brigade.

Eyewitness photos via Twitpic.

Witnesses said the blaze started in an air conditioning duct, but this has yet to be confirmed by emergency services at the scene.

Twelve fire engines are at the scene, a brigade spokesman said, reading from a written statement. The firefighters were called at 2 p.m. local time and the cause of the fire is not yet known, he said.

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Laughing-Samurai (not verified)

at 07:18 on July 10th, 2009

Dean St is in Soho part of the West End, the streets are very narrow with the buildings very close to each other.

Sixty firefighters were tackling a major blaze in an office building in London's fashionable Soho district, a fire brigade spokesman said on Friday.

"Seventy-five percent of the building has been destroyed," the spokesman said. "It's still an active fire."

The building had a basement, ground floor and four upper storeys, he added.

The fire broke out in Dean Street, a street lined with restaurants and bars, at lunchtime on Friday. Diners were evacuated and a huge pall of black smoke hung over the area.

There were no reports of anyone being trapped in the buildings, the spokesman said.