Shoppers evacuated as fridge ignites in M&S
AN INDUSTRIAL fridge caught fire in Marks and Spencer in Uxbridge, forcing 100 people to evacuate the shop.
Alarms sounded and a crowd of people were left waiting outside the shop on Uxbridge High Street after smoke and flames were seen coming from a fridge in the M&S Food Hall in the Pavillions centre.
London Fire Brigade were called to the scene at 1.22pm and firefighters were able to get the fire until control by 1.48pm with no reported injuries.
A London Fire Brigade spokeswoman said: “We were called at 1.22pm to a fire in High Street, Uxbridge.
“An industrial fridge was damaged. “100 people left before firefighters got there and the fire was under control at 1.48pm.
“Three fire engines attended and firefighters are still on the scene damping the area down.”
Witness James Carson described how a large group of people had to leave the store.
He said: “I was helping out on the British Legion store and saw everybody being evacuated.
“Customers were reporting seeing flames and smoke coming from a fridge within the store
“There were no casualties but the store was very busy when the incident occurred.”
A M&S spokeswoman confirmed the fire was in a fridge in an aisle of the Food Hall.
Staff and customers were evacuated immediately and nobody was injured. The store reopened at 3.15pm.
However, people living in flats raised concerns that they had not been told there was a fire.
They pointed out that they were not told to evacuate, potentially putting them at risk.
One said: “They never thought of telling us who live in the flats above! Thank you for your consideration.”
Another, who said she lives in the flat above with her infant child, said she had not heard the alarms or commotion.
Most of the shop workers in the area surrounding the fire said they only noticed something was wrong when a large crowd gathered outside the store.
An employee in the neighbouring Clarks said: “We just saw that the fire engines arrived and all the staff came out and had to wait outside.”
A Trespass employee added: “The first I really knew of it was when the fire trucks appeared.
“We were not told anything but no one seemed too worried.”
An M&S spokeswoman said: “Our Foodhall at M&S Uxbridge has now reopened.
“We’d like to thank our customers for their patience and cooperation during the short closure.”