Hammersmith bridge illegal fireworks spark 80 emergency calls amid fear for homes

Yahoo

6 hours ago

An unauthorised fireworks display on Hammersmith bridge almost resulted in nearby buildings catching fire, it can be revealed.
More than 80 emergency calls were received by the London Fire Brigade at around 9.45pm on Sunday when a flare set fire to a hedge on the south side of the river.
The blaze is believed to have broken out in the fields belonging to St Paul's School. One resident said the firework could have easily hit a person or burned down a row of houses.
It is thought football fans had gathered on the bridge, which has been closed to vehicles since 2019, to let off a 'huge amount' of fireworks, according to residents.
A row of hedges caught fire, with the flames reaching 3m in height – caused by a suspected stray firework or flare.
Fire brigade sources said it was extremely fortunate that no buildings became involved in this incident.
Six fire engines were initially dispatched to the scene, due to the volume of calls and suggestions from some callers that buildings may be involved.
Following an assessment of the situation from firefighters on scene, the response was scaled down to three fire engines and about 15 firefighters.
A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: "We were called at 21:48 yesterday (August 3) to reports of a fire near Lonsdale Road, SW13.
'Firefighters attended and discovered a hedge fully alight. The fire was safely extinguished by crews by around 22:30. The fire is believed to have been caused by a stray firework or flare."
A spokesperson for Hammersmith Bridge SOS, which campaigns to restore public transport over the bridge, said: 'This was terrifying, orchestrated behaviour, its flares and fireworks raining down.
'If they had landed just slightly differently they could've set fire easily to a row of wooden houses or killed someone.
'It shows once again how vulnerable Hammersmith bridge has become now Hammersmith's Labour council, Richmond council, TfL and the Department for Transport all have washed their hands of it and try to pass responsibility from one to the other – no one is monitoring the bridge effectively and crime is becoming rife.'
Hammersmith and Fulham council, which owns Hammersmith bridge, said it was aware of the incident.
Almost exactly a year ago, Algerian football fans held an illegal firework display on the Millennium Bridge and Blackfriars bridge in central London to celebrate the anniversary of the country's national football team.
It is not known at this stage whether the same fans were responsible for the incident on Hammersmith bridge.
In March, The Standard revealed that a number of ideas about the future of the bridge were discussed at a meeting of the 'taskforce' designed to get the council, TfL and the Government working together.
In April, the bridge's main carriageway reopened to pedestrians and cyclists after a £2.9m upgrade.
There is no date for it to reopen to cars and buses.
The Metropolitan Police, St Paul's school and Richmond council have been contacted by The Standard.