Firefighters battle 'challenging conditions' to extinguish blaze after two tour buses catch fire
The US rock band Kings of Leon today cancelled their sold-out show after a blaze at the 02 arena in Greenwich, south-east London.
The venue did not suffer damage after a tour bus caught fire, but the time it took to assess the damage meant there was no choice but to call off the show by the band, whose hit single Sex On Fire was number one for three weeks in 2008.
"Unfortunately, due to this morning's fire on board one of the tour buses at The O2, tonight's Kings of Leon concert will now be postponed," AEG, the owners of 02, said in a statement. AEG apologised for the inconvenience and said a new date will be announced shortly.
Around 60 firefighters and 12 fire engines had to deal with what the London fire brigade described as "challenging conditions", as smoke billowed from the vicinity of the white dome, by the Thames.
Ambulance staff treated six people for smoke inhalation, but no one needed hospital treatment.
"We have officers at the scene who have reported back now that the fire is now under control. It did not spread to the dome at all. It is in the parking location," a London fire brigade spokesman said.
"In terms of the causes of the fire at this stage, both coaches are completely burnt out. The crews have worked incredibly well. They will remain at the scene for some time, understandably, but the fire is out."
Firefighters were called out to the 02, which stages concerts and events such as the recent ATP tennis tournament, at 8.18am.
The LFB said one double-decker tour bus was badly damaged by the fire.
"It was quite a large incident," said station manager Sally Cartwright, who was at the scene. "Firefighters arrived on the scene quickly and were met by extremely hot and smoky conditions.
"Our crews should be extremely proud of themselves ? they did a fantastic job today and managed to prevent the fire from spreading. We are now working closely with staff from the O2 to ensure that a normal service is restored as quickly as possible."
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