Two rescued from Shepherd’s Bush flat fire

Two people were rescued after a late-night blaze completely destroyed a flat in Shepherd’s Bush.

Five fire engines and around 35 firefighters rushed to Australia Road just before midnight on Tuesday 26th May to tackle the intense first-floor fire.

Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus pulled two residents from the building using specialist fire escape hoods, which London firefighters were among the first in the UK to adopt in 2018 as part of safety overhauls following the Grenfell Tower tragedy. Seven people were taken to hospital by London Ambulance Service crews and a further five people were assessed on scene.

The London Fire Brigade’s (LFB) control officers took more than 25 emergency calls regarding the incident, providing vital fire survival guidance to residents trapped inside the building until crews arrived.
The Brigade was called at 23:57 and the fire was brought fully under control by 02:03 on Wednesday morning. Fire crews from Hammersmith, Kensington, Acton, North Kensington, Ealing, and Battersea fire stations all attended the scene.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

This article was published by the London Fire Brigade on 27/05/2026 and can be viewed at https://www.london-fire.gov.uk/incidents/2026/may/flat-fire-shepherds-bush/