An enormous fire broke out at a waste and recycling centre near Wembley Stadium today after an apparent explosion, sending plumes of smoke billowing into the air.
Some 125 firefighters and 20 engines raced to the scene in the Neasden area of north-west London after more than 90 calls were made to 999 just after 11.30am.
Fire crews urged nearby residents to close their doors and windows and 'remain inside if possible' because of the large amount of smoke from the 161,400 sq ft site.
Transport for London said the Metropolitan line was suspended due to the fire, while the Jubilee line had no service between Willesden Green and Wembley Park.
Chiltern Railways said the incident meant all lines towards Aylesbury were disrupted, resulting in delays between London Marylebone and Harrow-on-the-Hill. The fire alarm sounding at Marylebone station earlier in the day was also causing delays.
London Fire Brigade (LFB) crews from Wembley, Park Royal, Willesden and other nearby stations were sent to the scene, but the cause of the fire is not yet known.
The blaze appeared to have broken out at the LondonEnergy Waste Transfer Station on Hannah Close, located next to an Amazon warehouse and near the Wembley Ikea.
The nearby Amazon warehouse, which was not related to the industrial unit involved in the fire next door, was understood to have been evacuated as a precaution.
Some 125 firefighters and 20 engines raced to the scene in the Neasden area of north-west London after more than 90 calls were made to 999 just after 11.30am
Smoke in the air near Wembley Stadium in north-west London today after a reported explosion
A London Underground train is pictured as a plume of smoke is seen in the sky this afternoon
Some 125 firefighters and 20 engines raced to the scene of the blaze in the Neasden area of London
A large plume of black smoke is seen in the sky during the fire at the industrial estate this afternoon
Fire crews urged residents to close their doors and windows and 'remain inside if possible'
Three of the brigade's 100ft ladders were mobilised to the scene, along with drones, a hose laying unit and a high volume pump to increase the amount of water available.
The LFB described the fire as having broken out at a 'mixed waste facility', adding that an 'industrial unit approximately 100m (300ft) by 150m (500ft) is currently alight'.
Mark, a builder who was in a crane in Cricklewood as he witnessed the blaze, told LBC radio: 'I saw it start about an hour ago. Black smoke was just unbelievable.
'Now they've got it under control because the smoke has gone a lot less and it's gone white. So you know that the firefighters have got it under control.
'They've done really well. If you see the pictures of the black smoke, you think, wow, that's going to burn forever, but they've got it under control now.'
One frightened witness tweeted: 'Massive fire near Neasden / Wembley. The smoke is scary and due to the wind, it's getting worse. WTF has happened?!
Another said: 'Warehouse in Wembley has just erupted into a very, very massive fire. I've seen at least seven fire trucks speeding down and three police cars.'
LondonEnergy is a company owned by the North London Waste Authority (NLWA) which is responsible for disposing all waste for eight boroughs in the capital.
The statutory public authority services more than two million residents across Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Hackney, Haringey, Islington and Waltham Forest.
London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan said on X: 'London Fire Brigade is responding to a large fire on an industrial estate in Neasden. I'm receiving regular updates.
The nearby Amazon warehouse, which was not related to the industrial unit involved in the fire next door, was understood to have been evacuated as a precaution
A large plume of smoke is seen in the sky during the fire at the industrial estate this afternoon
The blaze appeared to have broken out at the LondonEnergy Waste Transfer Station on Hannah Close, located next to an Amazon warehouse and near the Wembley Ikea
A closed Neasden Station due to the fire today which has disrupted Underground services
'If you live in the area, please follow LFB's safety advice. My thanks go to our brave firefighters who are tackling the blaze to protect lives and businesses.'
NLWA said: 'We are currently responding to a fire at our Wembley transfer station and are working closely with the emergency services and relevant authorities.
'We can confirm that all LondonEnergy employees are safe and there have been no injuries. Our immediate priority is to support the emergency response.'
A spokesman for London Ambulance Service said an incident response officer had been sent to the scene but no patients were being treated.
Speaking at the scene, LFB Assistant Commissioner Andy Pennick said: 'The brigade was called at 11:36am to reports of a fire on Hannah Close, Neasden.
'Upon arrival, firefighters were met by a well-developed fire involving a waste transfer facility. Recognising the scale of the fire, the initial officer in attendance immediately requested 20 fire engines be mobilised to the scene.
'An industrial unit, approximately 100m by 150m is currently alight. We have around 125 firefighters currently working to bring the fire under control.
'The fire has produced a significant amount of smoke, with local residents being advised to keep doors and windows closed as we respond. Services on nearby rail lines have also been suspended as a precaution whilst we respond.'
He added described it as 'a protracted incident that will see crews on scene for the remainder of the day as the work to fully extinguish the fire'.
Mr Pennick added: 'I’d like to thank our firefighters for their hard work so far at this fire, and our control officers for managing a significant number of calls and coordinating or response.'
The next event scheduled at Wembley Stadium is an All Elite Wrestling special this Sunday, followed by Bon Jovi concerts on September 4, 6 and 9.
The incident comes after 15 fire engines and 100 firefighters tackled a fire involving 50 tonnes of household waste stored at a recycling facility in Deptford on August 18.