Praise for firefighters who saved Koko music venue
Fire chief: 'It was quite a serious fire which could have been way, way worse'
Saturday, 11th January 2020 — By Samantha Booth
THE borough’s most senior firefighter has said he has been “overwhelmed” at the amount of praise received for crews’ work tackling the major fire at the historic Koko nightclub.
Borough commander Simon Tuhill told the New Journal he was “really proud” of the 60 firefighters, many based in Camden, who helped save the main part of the former Camden Palace on Monday night.
He said: “I have to say I’m very overwhelmed by the messages. I’ve passed that on to the crews to say you’ve done a really good job and that it was quite a serious fire which could have been way, way worse and you have managed to save one of the most iconic night venues in London.”
The first firefighters to arrive were from the nearby Euston base in Euston Road who immediately requested back-up when they saw how extensive the flames were.
A tactical plan was used with a combination of crews going inside to gain access and aerial appliances in the air to tackle it from above in a bid to try and stop flames spreading.
New technology helped keep the firefighters safe – a drone was launched into the air and using cameras and heat imaging it confirmed there were no gas canisters nearby, which if they explode can be dangerous. Mr Tuhill said: “A fire in the roof such as that is very difficult for us to fight. They are difficult for us to get to as they are high up and the access does tend to be more challenging than a normal fire.
Roofs are designed to keep water out so unless you have really excellent access, the water tends to run off and not put the fire out.” He said crews also worked hard to make sure there also wasn’t a lot of water damage.
Mr Tuhill, who has seen live music at the venue, said: “It means a lot to everyone in London.”
Olly Bengough, owner of Koko, said: “We want to thank the London Fire Brigade for its quick response and how well it handled the situation.”
Camden Town Hall leader Cllr Georgia Gould said we owe London Fire Brigade “so much for their swift and courageous response” while Camden Conservatives leader Cllr Oliver Cooper said: “Thank you so much to the firefighters for responding so quickly.”
Sir Keir Starmer, MP for Holborn and St Pancras, and the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan also praised the response.
Fire crews from Euston, Kentish Town, Islington, Soho, Holloway, Paddington and surrounding fire stations were at the scene.
