A large fire broke out at a London substation just weeks after a similar incident at Heathrow airport which caused travel chaos.
Black smoke and flames were seen erupting in rush hour today near Warwick Avenue station.
Fifteen fire engine and around 100 firefighters were called to the fire at an electrical substation on Aberdeen Place in Maida Vale, according to the London Fire Brigade.
Officers received more than 170 calls alerting them to the blaze at 5.29am on Tuesday.
Part of a neighbouring residential block of flats was also alight and about 100 residents have been evacuated from surrounding buildings and a rest centre has been set up by the local authority. There have been no reports of any injuries at this time.
Station Commander Paul Morgan said: “This is a very visible fire and producing lots of smoke. Residents are advised to keep their windows and doors shut and avoid the area where possible.”
Fire crews from Paddington and Euston and surrounding fire stations are also at the scene.
Videos on social media show large amounts of dark smoke following what appears to be an explosion.
Residents have gathered outside the cordon, many watching as firefighters continue to work to fully extinguish the blaze and assess the damage to the substation and the nearby residential building.
One resident who was evacuated during the fire has described it as “an inferno”.
Alice Bazzi, 36, said her mother Fatima, 71, woke her shortly before 5.30am saying she could smell fire.
Speaking outside the Wharncliffe Gardens Community centre where evacuated residents have gathered, Ms Bazzi said: “You felt it on your face, I felt the heat.
“That’s why they said our block has now been impacted because where the flames got so high, higher than these trees, the fire then went onto our roof.”
The cause of the fire is not known at this stage and firefighters are expected to remain on scene throughout the day.
Westminster City Council has reiterated advice urging residents to keep their doors and windows closed as firefighters tackle the blaze in Maida Vale.
In a statement on social media, the council said: “The London Fire Brigade are dealing with a fire at an electrical substation on Victoria Passage NW8 in Westminster.
“Residents are advised to keep their windows and doors shut.”
UK Power Networks confirmed the fire did not interrupted power supplies.
A spokesperson said: “UK Power Networks was called to a fire at a substation in St John’s Wood early this morning.
“This has not interrupted power supplies. Our teams are working with the fire service to make the equipment safe.
“This is an isolated incident and customers’ supplies were not impacted.”
It comes after a massive fire ripped through an electricity substation near Heathrow in March.
Thousands of passengers had their flights cancelled or altered in mid-air and forced the airport to close for more than 15 hours.
The blaze which caused the power outage erupted at a high-voltage electricity substation in Hayes, five miles north of the airport, leaving around 67,000 households suffering power cuts.