Fire crews tackle blaze at house on Highview Road in West Ealing on Bonfire Night

Firefighters dealt with a fire at a house on Highview Road in West Ealing on Thursday evening, 5 November, as thick smoke drifted over the rooftops of the residential street.

Footage shared with UB1UB2 shows several fire engines lined up along the road at around 8.05pm. Crews in breathing apparatus can be seen running hose lines down the side of a house while dark smoke rises behind it.

Neighbours gathered on the pavement to watch as firefighters worked. People were advised to avoid the road while emergency services were there.

Cause not yet confirmed

London Fire Brigade has not yet said what caused the fire, how many fire engines and firefighters went to the scene, or whether anyone was hurt.

Some locals suspect that misused fireworks were to blame, as the fire happened on Bonfire Night. This has not been confirmed by the fire brigade, which normally investigates the cause of house fires once they are out.

Highview Road is a quiet street of mostly terraced, semi-detached and detached family homes in the W13 area of West Ealing, between Uxbridge Road and Hanwell.

Busy year for crews in West Ealing

Firefighters have been called to several serious fires in West Ealing this year. In March, around 40 residents left a block of flats on The Avenue after a balcony fire, and six fire engines and about 40 firefighters attended.

In April, four fire engines and around 25 firefighters tackled a house fire on Northfield Avenue. In May, a similar number of crews were called to a fire at a block of flats on Gurnell Grove that London Fire Brigade linked to an e-bike.

Fireworks safety advice

The period around Bonfire Night is usually one of the busiest times of the year for London Fire Brigade. The brigade says going to an organised public display is always safer than setting off fireworks at home.

For people who use their own fireworks, the brigade advises buying only fireworks with a CE or UKCA mark, keeping them in a closed box and lighting them one at a time. Never throw fireworks, never put them in your pockets and never go back to a firework once it has been lit. Rockets should be aimed well away from spectators, and fireworks should never be set off on a balcony.

Bonfires should be built well away from buildings, sheds, fences and hedges and should never be left unattended. Paraffin or petrol should never be used to light them. The brigade also suggests keeping a bucket of water or a hosepipe nearby.

For most of the year it is illegal to set off fireworks between 11pm and 7am. On Bonfire Night the cut-off is extended to midnight.

Anyone who sees a fire should call 999 straight away. Anyone with information about fireworks being misused can contact the police on 101.