Firefighters still battling Finchley Road fire more than 24 hours after it broke out

This is the scene this morning in Finchley Road, as firefighters continue to battle a large fire that broke out more than 24 hours ago.

Firefighters continue to tackle the fire in Finchley Road this morning (Tuesday) - Credit: Archant

The road remains closed northbound, with authorities expecting this to be the case until later this afternoon.

Firefighters on an aerial platform were still spraying water into the building this morning.

It is still unknown what caused the blaze.

Fire crews have been working throughout the night, and this morning London Fire Brigade said they were making “good progress”.

Firefighters continue to tackle the fire in Finchley Road this morning (Tuesday) - Credit: Archant

A statement from the service said: “The incident is protracted due to the complex layout of the building and the fact that the fire had got into the voids between the floors of the building.”

Seventy firefighters were called to rescue residents of the flats above the PhoneRepairs4u shop at 6.24am yesterday.

And 25 people were taken to safety, with 12 treated for smoke inhalation.

Describing the scene yesterday, Station Manager David George said: “Firefighters are working hard in strenuous conditions to contain this fire and bring it under control.

“On arrival crews wearing breathing apparatus entered the building and led over 20 people to safety from inside.

“We also used one of our turntable ladders, which is like a cherry picker, to rescue a further two people from the roof.”

Last night cinema screenings at the o2 shopping centre were cancelled because of the fire.

Most of the o2 Centre was open yesterday, except for Habitat and Tiger, which both face onto Finchley Road.