Fire at Hayes electrical substation causes Heathrow Airport closure

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According to the London Fire Brigade a transformer within the substation was alight. There were no reports of any injuries.

Assistant Commissioner Pat Goulbourne said: "This was a very visible and significant incident, and our firefighters worked tirelessly in challenging conditions to bring the fire under control as swiftly as possible.

"Thanks to their efforts and coordinated multiagency response, we successfully contained the fire and prevented further spread.

"We will maintain a presence at the scene throughout the day, assisting the National Grid as they assess the site.

"The fire has caused a widespread power outage, affecting many homes, local businesses and Heathrow Airport. While power has been restored to some properties, we continue to work closely with our partners to minimise disruption.

"Firefighters safely evacuated 29 people from neighbouring properties, and as a precaution, a 200-metre cordon was established, with around 150 people evacuated.

"Due to the significant smoke, we strongly advise local residents to keep their windows and doors closed, as some smoke will remain for a number of hours today. Scientific advisors will also be on-site this morning to conduct further assessments and monitor the air quality.

"Our Control Officers handled more than 200 emergency calls, providing guidance and reassurance to the public.

"As the morning progresses, disruption is expected to continue and we urge people to avoid the area whenever possible."

The Brigade was called at 23:23 and crews from Hayes, Heathrow, Hillingdon, Southall and surrounding fire stations were mobilised to the scene. The fire was under control by 06:28.

The Brigade’s fire investigators are working closely with the Metropolitan Police Service on the investigation into the cause of the fire.

With Heathrow Airport being closed due to the fire at the nearby Hayes electrical substation – having affected the supply of power to the Airport’s terminals – today’s flights to and from the airport have been cancelled and the knock-on effect may also lead to delays and further cancellations over the weekend. Selina Chadha, Group Director for Consumers at the UK Civil Aviation Authority, said: “Passengers are advised not to travel to Heathrow at this time and should contact their airlines for the latest flight updates.

“We appreciate the difficulties that travel disruption causes, and we expect airlines to take all necessary steps to support and assist their passengers during this period of disruption.

“The Civil Aviation Authority remains in close contact with Heathrow Airport, airlines and the Government during this time.”

As the Heathrow Airport shutdown continues, global air travel data provider OAG compiled stats today showing:

• London Heathrow Airport  is the largest European airport based on seats (4,296,701 scheduled for March 2025), the fifth largest airport in the world and the second largest for international capacity.
• There were 1,332 flights scheduled for today, 21st March 2025 and all have been cancelled.
• BA is the operator of 51% of those flights.
• Over 5,300 seats were planned to New York JFK, 4,500 to Dubai and 3,000 to Frankfurt.
• The smallest route impacted was to the Isle of Man with 72 seats.

Tara Spielhagen, CEO of Swiipr – the compensation payment partner of several major global airlines, including the UK’s largest operator out of Heathrow, BA – said: "It is another day of travel chaos with the closure of Heathrow and over 1,300 flight cancellations. Passengers impacted by the shutdown are unlikely to be eligible for compensation payments if their flight is delayed or cancelled, as the fire will almost certainly be considered an extraordinary event.

"We remain on high support alert with all our clients, as under UK regulations, airlines still have a duty of care towards passengers who experience significant disruptions and must provide them with assistance – including the provision of food and drink and accommodation for overnight delays. Many other UK airports are likely to have increased traffic as travel to and from Heathrow spills over.
 
"Affected airlines will be under pressure to not only reschedule flights but ensure they are meeting both their passengers’ needs and their regulatory requirements. As payment partner to many airlines, including the UK’s largest operator out of Heathrow, we anticipate a large amount of payments for passengers over the coming days. When last year’s global IT outage grounded thousands of flights, we saw a 200% rise in payments to passengers from airlines on the first day alone."