A man has been arrested on suspicion of arson after a fire erupted near Brixton London Underground station on Monday.
Police said a man in his 40s was in custody following the incident which happened at a nearby storage unit,which is being considered a crime scene.
Footage shows a fireball roaring on a small back alley,Electric Lane,behind the street which hosts Brixton market this morning.
Neighbours looking out of their windows,unaware of the size of the inferno,were frantically begged to evacuate the scene.
People could be seen throwing bin bags away from the blaze to slow it down as a large plume of smoke towered above Electric Avenue.
Some 70 firefighters were called to the road at 9.40am,with those living near the blaze advised to keep their windows and doors shut.
The fire brigade temporarily closed Brixton Tube station due to ‘smoke travel’,while Stockwell Tube station is exit-only as the final part of the line is closed.
A statement from the Metropolitan Police said: ‘Officers are currently supporting the London Fire Brigade following a fire at a building on Electric Avenue,Brixton.
‘No injuries have been reported. Surrounding buildings have been evacuated.
‘One suspect,a man in his 40s,has been arrested on suspicion of arson. He remains in police custody.’
People were filmed chucking bin bags away from the fire (Picture: Instagram/@macamish)
The fire is now under control (Picture: London Fire Brigade)
Smoke was seen engulfing the Brixton area (Picture: Datawrapper)
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The fire brigade confirmed at around 1.30pm that the blaze was under control,sharing a photograph of firefighters on a cherry picker crane emerging from the thick smoke.
The fire in #Brixton is now under control but we will be on scene through the afternoon,with cordons remaining in place.No injuries have been reported at this time. More: https://t.co/UiCkH8uLCs pic.twitter.com/plOcyye92p
— London Fire Brigade (@LondonFire) July 7,2025
Brixton Road and Atlantic Road are closed – Brixton Road is closed southbound from Atlantic Road to Coldharbour Lane and Acre Lane.
Traffic is building up around Stockwell Park Walk,and there are logjams northbound along Brixton Hill.
Smoke can be seen wafting inside the beauty parlour (Picture: David Lynch/PA Wire)
The fire brigade confirmed to Metro that the storage unit ablaze is different from the three-storey warehouse on Electric Lane that caught alight in 2022.
Police said a crime scene had been established and emergency services remain at the scene.
Electric Avenue is famous for being one of the first streets in the UK with electricity.
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