Camden - City and Travel Guide

At about 7.20pm on the evening of the Saturday 9th February, nearly 100 fire fighters were called to reduce the huge flames of this extraordinary fire. It took 40 minutes for the second and following fire engines to arrive and by then the flames were building and spreading rapidly. The flames were leaping up to 30 feet in the air and all local residents were evacuated from the flats and homes. There were huge clouds of thick dark smoke in the air.

Initially, it was thought that the fire started in a local pub, the Hawley Arms, a local hangout for celebrities which include Amy Winehouse and Mark Ronson as well as many other celebrities. However, further investigation has suggested that the fire actually began behind the local pub in an alleyway; though the local pub has been destroyed, there is no doubt that it will bounce back and be back in business in no time.

The fire damaged a number of stalls, shops and flats. Altogether, 90 stalls were damaged, 35 of them were severely damaged; 6 shops and the flats above them on Chalk Farm Road were damaged. Of the 6, 2 will be demolished as engineers deemed them unsafe. The Hawley Arms will not be demolished but will be repaired and work has already begun on the inside.

Luckily, there were no casualties, however, many people rely on the business there and the fire has not helped. Local businessmen are concerned about how they will recover from this blow and whether there properties have had any structural damage from the fire. The London Borough of Camden council has created help lines and offered assistance to the local businessmen. Many of the area has not been affected and much of it went back to business as normal soon after the fire, however, the seriously affected areas will need assistance to rebuild their livelihoods.

So far, £750,000 has been allocated to help the rebuild the London Borough of Camden's market areas and the local businessmen. The London Development Agency has also set aside £250,000 for business grants and to promote the tourist traffic back in the area.

This has clearly been a huge blow to the London Borough of Camden, however, there is no doubt that the area will recover, bounce back and come back stronger and more vibrant. The people of the London Borough of Camden are resilient and will ensure that they will come out of this stronger!

Article Source: http://www.envispire.com

The Article is written by citylocal.co.uk Camden team which provides more information and guide about Camden Business Directory, City Guide and

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