Three people have been arrested after a fire that engulfed a flat in a 17-storey tower block.
Residents fled as the flat on the 13th floor of the tower block was destroyed in the blaze on Monday (September 18) at 6.43pm.
While there were no injuries, many residents had to take refuge at Brent Civic Centre in Wembley due to the damage.
The Metropolitan Police says that two men, 32 and 45, and a woman, 42, have all been arrested in connection with the incident.
Detectives are investigating the cause of the fire, which one neighbour says is not the first at the flat.
Fire on the block of flats by Kilburn Square . @LifeInKilburn @LondonFire pic.twitter.com/MPVaJ0f2N7
— Ivo Costa (@IvoRBFCosta) September 18, 2023
Ivo Costa, who shared posts on X, formerly known as Twitter, at the scene claimed this was “not the first time” there had been a fire in the flat.
Everyone was allowed to safely return home except for three households who the council has provided with temporary accommodation until they are able to go back. Work is currently underway to allow them to return as quickly as possible.
Please could you get some concrete help for affected residents. They are all in McDonald's at the moment. The Council have set up a respite Centre in Wembley but no transport to get to it.
— Life In Kilburn (@LifeInKilburn) September 18, 2023
Cabinet member for housing, homelessness and renters’ security, Cllr Promise Knight, said: “My sincere thanks goes to the London Fire Brigade and the Police for their quick response to the fire at Kilburn Square yesterday evening. I am also grateful to the council officers who delivered a fire safety briefing to some residents just last week, which undoubtedly helped ensure that no one was injured in this terrible incident.”
She added: “I would also like to thank the council officers who worked through the night to support tenants to get to and from the rest centre, and who helped the majority of tenants safely return to their homes. I know that this must have been a very difficult and stressful time for everyone involved.”
The incident also sparked concerns from the Kilburn Village Residents' Association, as chair Keith Anderson reached out to the paper to express his fear of "key fire safety issues" in future proposals for the estate.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call police on 101 quoting reference 3329/19092023.
Do you live at the property and have you faced similar issues? The Brent & Kilburn Times would like to speak to residents affected. Contact us at: joseph.reaidi@newsquest.co.uk
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