Fire at Restaurant in Petts Wood
A fire at a Turkish restaurant in Petts Wood saw 10 fire engines and around 70 firefighters rush to the scene. Several residents were evacuated from flats above Uskudar as firefighters tackled the blaze, which is believed to have been caused by grease and fat deposits in the kitchen extraction system.
- By
- Charlotte Toller
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- BA Journalism, University of Roehampton
- Achievement
- First-class mark
Article
Charlotte Toller
The Bromley Chronical
22nd April
Fires
FIRE AT RESTAURANT IN PETTS WOOD
Firefighters were called to stop fire at the Uskudar restaurant on Petts Wood high street yesterday evening.
Ten fire engines and around 70 firefighters tackled the fire at the Turkish restaurant after the emergency services were called at 6:42pm. London Fire Brigade confirmed that the fire was under control by 8:15pm. Several people fled from the flats above the restaurant before the firefighters arrived and were assessed by paramedics, but none are believed to have required hospital treatment.
Half of Uskudar’s restaurant and part of a first-floor flat were damaged, and ducting running from the ground to the first floor was completely destroyed by the fire. Simon Chalk, the Station Commander who was at the scene, said, “Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus worked hard to bring the fire under control and then fully extinguish the blaze and dampen down any hotspots.”
The fire, which is being treated as accidental, is believed to have been caused by the ignition of grease and fat deposits within the extraction system, most likely from the use of a charcoal pit in the kitchen. An LFB spokesperson said, “We’d like to remind restaurant owners to ensure they don’t have dirty ducting. If you don’t clean the ducting in your extraction system regularly, you’re at a greater risk of ducting fires. You should also make sure you keep the hob, cooker hood and extractor fan clean too – built up fat and grease can ignite and cause a fire.”
The Petts Wood Methodist Church looked after the people impacted by the fire, providing the evacuees with a place to stay for the night. Councillor Fawthorp thanked the church via Twitter for holding the fort “Until Bromley Council could step in with temporary accommodation.”
The two owners of the Uskadar restaurant, Metin Arslan and Mehmet Kanat are yet to comment or announce if or when the restaurant will be re-opening, but a witness who lives opposite, Lisa Montague, said “I think it’s probably gutted! So many fire engines were there.” On Google, the restaurant is stated as “Temporarily Closed.” Rated 4.4 stars on Google reviews, some described the restaurant as “The best restaurant in Petts Wood. Great atmosphere, amazing food, great cocktails and reasonable for the quality of the food and service.” Others said, “Fantastic food, fabulous service, cannot fault it.”
This is the second fire in a South London restaurant this month, after a Chinese restaurant in Sutton caught fire on the 4th of April, damaging the flats above it. It was treated as accidental, but the exact cause was undetermined.
Since yesterday’s events, the LFB have released a new set of top tips for restaurants and takeaways, including to ensure ducting is installed correctly and cleaned regularly, test their electrical system frequently, to complete Fire Risk Assessments and to make an emergency plan.
