Netflix have been dealt a huge blow to their BAFTA afterparty which was due to take place tomorrow night at London’s Chiltern Firehouse before a fire broke out
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Chilton Firehouse on fire in London
Netflix have been left scrambling to re-arrange their BAFTA afterparty.
The glitzy event was due to be held at Chiltern Firehouse on Sunday night but just days before, a fire broke out at the exclusive venue in Central London. Bosses behind the event had been planning the no-expense spared afterparty for months having reportedly spent thousands.
Now, they are said to be scrambling to find a last minute venue where celebs can celebrate after the BAFTA Awards. It’s believed that the likes of Zoe Saldana and Selena Gomez were amongst some of the huge names who were set to head to the Firehouse to party the night away.
Meanwhile, Wallace and Gromit creator, Nick Park, CBE was apparently due to check into the venue ahead the BAFTAs tomorrow evening. A source said that it was the “ultimate nightmare.” Several huge celebrities had also been planning on staying in the hotel side of the Firehouse.
“Every year they spent tens of thousands of pounds to put on the biggest and best BAFTA afterparty around,” a source told The Sun of the Netflix event. They continued: “Right now everything hangs in the balance while they get the blaze under control and assess the damage.”
The blaze ripped through ducting at the celeb hangout on Friday, forcing about 100 people to be evacuated from the five-star London hotel and restaurant. The London Fire Brigade (LFB) said that 20 fire engines and about 125 firefighters were involved in tackling the blaze on Chiltern Street in Marylebone on Friday.
They said crews were first called at 2.52pm and are still at the scene, while the cause of the fire is unknown. Videos on social media show flames which are engulfing the top of the building being doused by fire officers from a crane, while smoke billows out of the roof.
The hotel will likely need a “large refurbishment”, a firefighter at the scene said. The unnamed firefighter told the PA news agency on Friday night: “It’s (the fire) completely under control in there now, but the hotel is probably going to need a large refurbishment. I don’t think anyone was injured because of the evacuation earlier.”
Firehouse owner, Andre Balazs said the venue, which an employee at the scene confirmed had been due to host a BAFTA party on Sunday, would remain closed until further notice. He said: “Earlier this evening, a fire broke out at Chiltern Firehouse. We are grateful to confirm that no-one was hurt, and our guests and staff safely evacuated. The fire has now been fully contained.
“It is with heartfelt gratitude and appreciation that we watched a remarkable 120 firefighters from over 14 stations rapidly descend on what they told me was a hugely sentimental building for so many of them. We know in fact one of those who rushed to the Chiltern Firehouse this evening had been stationed in the building when it was a fire station 30 years ago. I am truly grateful to all of them as I am sure that this is not the Valentine’s Day evening they had in mind.
“As of now, as this is still a live situation we do not have confirmation of what may have caused the fire, but the fire services are investigating. In the meantime, the Chiltern Firehouse will remain closed until further notice.” In a statement, the LFB said: “Crews worked hard over a number of hours in challenging circumstances in a complex historic building and successfully contained the fire to one property, preventing it from spreading to neighbouring properties.
“Firefighters will remain on scene throughout the night damping down hotspots. The fire started in ducting and spread from the ground floor to the roof of the four-storey hotel with a restaurant on the ground floor. The blaze spread to the second and third floors of the building.”
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