Large fire tears through luxury London hotel known as a celebrity hotspot

LONDON (AP) — A fire broke out at a luxury London hotel and restaurant known as a celebrity hotspot, engulfing the historic building and forcing about 100 people to be evacuated, fire services said.

More than 100 firefighters and 20 fire engines spent hours fighting the blaze that ripped through Chiltern Firehouse in Marylebone on Friday, the London Fire Brigade said.

The red brick building, a former fire station dating to the late 19th century, is known as a favorite with celebrities, with numerous stars including Madonna, Kylie Minogue and Tom Cruise among the hotel and restaurant’s customers.

The hotel was reportedly due to host the Netflix party after the BAFTA awards ceremony on Sunday.

No injuries were reported and the fire was contained late Friday.

The fire brigade said the blaze began mid-afternoon in ducting in the ground floor of the building before spreading all the way up to the roof of the four-story hotel. The cause of the fire was not known.

“Crews worked hard over a number of hours in challenging circumstances in a complex historic building and successfully contained the fire,” it said.

The hotel’s owner, Andre Balazs, said the venue would remain closed until further notice.