Piccadilly Line chaos as Harrow fire erupts and 'gas explodes' sparking major delays

A huge fire has ripped through major railway arches sparking huge delays for commuters this morning.

A number of gas cylinders are also believed to have exploded during theearly stages of the fire under theLondon Underground Piccadilly line tracksin South Harrow, fire crews said. London Fire Brigadedashed to reports of a fire affecting a range of railway arches and businesses, including vehicle workshops, situated within the arches near Roxeth Green Avenue in South Harrow at around 1.30am. There are around 100 firefighters at the scene, and residents are advised to keep windows and doors shut due to the smoke.

Crews say they are "likely" to be at the scene well into the morning. In a statement, LFB said: "Fifteen fire engines and around 100 firefighters were called to a fire near Roxeth Green Avenue in South Harrow.

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"The fire occurred at a range of four railway arches, housing businesses including vehicle workshops and other commercial uses. The properties have been severely damaged by fire.

"Firefighters have worked hard to bring the fire under control but the Brigade is likely to maintain a significance presence on scene for several more hours."

Photographs shared on social media show large plumes of smoke billow from the fire. There have been no injuries reported so far and the cause of the fire remains unclear at this stage with the blaze brought under control around 4am.

Roxeth Green Avenue connects the Northolt Park area in the southwest to the Roxeth area of Harrow in the north. It runs underneath the Piccadilly Line near the junction with The Arches, an industrial road which takes traffic northeast towards Rayners Lane.

London Fire Service also stated: "People in the local area were asked to keep their windows and doors closed during the height of the fire due to smoke travel.

"An unknown number of gas cylinders at the site are believed to have exploded during the early stages of the incident. Firefighters have safely removed two further cylinders and cooled them to an ambient temperature, as gas cylinders can explode when exposed to heat.

"Road closures are currently in place in Roxeth Green Avenue, near the junction of The Arches, and are expected to remain in place throughout the night and into the morning. The Piccadilly Underground line, which runs over the railway arches, is expected to be severely impacted when services are due to resume in the morning. Transport for London has confirmed the Piccadilly line is currently suspended between South Harrow and Uxbridge stations.

"The Brigade received the first of around 40 calls about the fire at 0118 and mobilised crews from Harrow, Wembley, Stanmore, Ruislip and surrounding fire stations to the scene. Two 32-metre turntable ladders have also attended and been used as water towers to help extinguish the fire from above. A drone has also been deployed, providing the Incident Commander with a greater situational awareness of the incident."