*FIRE AND EXPLOSION* - London Fire Brigade vehicles responding to a gas explosion in bethnal green!!

In this video you can see numerous fire brigade appliances responding and turning up to the 15 pump gas explosion yesterday in bethnal green. This explosion was first called in as a High rise Fire, then upgraded to a fire involving Hazmat/Cylinders/explosion. Then the Brigade Control used 999EYE which is a link they can send to a callers phone to access their camera so they can see the scene. It was upgraded to a persons reported fire, then upgraded to an 8 pump fire, then a 12 pump fire and finally a 15. Numerous specialist appliances were on scene including:
A306 - Islington FRU
A236 - Euston FRU
F266 - Bethnal Green FRU
A243 - Soho TL
CU2 - Holloway CSU
CU4 - Dockhead CSU
F21A - Stratford OSU
E29A - Lee Green OSU
A39A - Finchley OSU

On top of that many Station Commanders, Group Commanders, Borough Commanders, Deputy Assistant Commissioner etc.

Luckily at the time I was at F24 Shoreditch fire station who were on their way back from a shout they had just got when they picked the job up. Firefighters in the back of F241 are seen putting on Breathing Apparatus which indicated to me that it could be a job. Once i caught A301 (Islington) responding past the station i started making my way down towards where the appliances were going. Just after I caught a Borough Commander, Station Commander and A231 (Euston) in convoy which indicated this was definitely going to be something. Following that was a Deputy Assistant Commissioner which gave away that this job was going to be quite big. I started running down towards the direction certain appliances and officers had turned and saw a NPAS (Police Helicopter) hovering between the Shoreditch and Bethnal Green area. Once i had saw that i started walking in the direction of where it was only to stumble across the scene. Once i had arrived i did not know what the job was or what the makeup was!

Fifteen fire engines and around 100 firefighters were called to reports of a fire and explosion on Granby Street in Shoreditch.

A second floor flat was significantly damaged by the fire and explosion and there was heat and smoke damage to the third floor flat above. There was external damage to the building caused by the explosion and the windows and fascia of a row of maisonettes opposite the affected block were also damaged.

Station Commander Paul Green, who was at the scene, said: “Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus rescued one man from a second floor flat. He was taken to hospital by London Ambulance Service crews.

“Another three people were led to safety by crews using fire escape hoods and a further person was assisted from the building. They were treated at the scene for smoke inhalation and three were taken to hospital.

“Firefighters carried out a systematic search of the block and a further two people were assisted from the building.

“Following the fire and explosion, crews remained on scene due on an on-going gas leak in the building. A 25m cordon was in place as a precaution.

"Part of Bethnal Green Road was shut and motorists were advised to avoid the area where possible.”

The Brigade's 999 Control Officers took 42 calls to the incident.

The Brigade was called at 1753 and the incident was over for firefighters by 0217. Fire crews from Whitechapel, Shoreditch, Shadwell, Dockhead, Islington and surrounding fire stations were at the scene.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.