A shipping container is on fire close to Platform 2 of the station and the flats opposite the subway.

The subway is closed by the police along with Perry Vale between Church Rise and Waldram Park Road but as I went past 10 minutes ago, the station is still open via Platform 1 on Devonshire Road.

https://x.com/Emily_Mckenzie/status/1978881053528932494

https://x.com/TonyL_01/status/1978879613607547017

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fY5SpIx62X0

The fire appears to be at Finches on Perry Vale.

There have been two other recent fires locally in Beckenham next to the Odeon and Poundland in Penge was destroyed last Thursday.

This post was last modified: 16-10-2025 06:39 PM by rbmartin.

I heard they have now closed the station and all trains are cancelled.
I pray for the safety of the emergency services and all involved.

The London Fire Brigade has said the shop, upstairs flats and the workshop are on fire.

Here's the LFB statement - https://www.london-fire.gov.uk/incidents...rest-hill/

122, 185 and 356 on diversion.

Routes 176 and 197 are still serving Forest Hill.

This post was last modified: 16-10-2025 09:58 PM by rbmartin.

https://www.london-fire.gov.uk/incidents...rest-hill/

Fire at shop - Forest Hill
Yesterday 18:27 Lewisham Fire at commercial property
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Fifteen fire engines and around 100 firefighters were called to a fire at a property on Perry Vale in Forest Hill.

The fire involved a building made up of a shop on the ground floor, a basement, and a flat on the first and second floors of the building. The whole building has sustained significant damage as a result of the fire. A storage area to the rear of the shop was also severely damaged by fire.

One man was injured in the incident. He did not require hospital treatment. Two people and one dog escaped the flat before firefighters arrived via a first-floor flat roof and were assisted to ground level by members of the public.

Around 15 people were evacuated from surrounding buildings and they were taken to a rest centre. The majority of these residents were able to return home overnight; however a small number remain in the care of the local authority.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Jamie Jenkins, who was the Incident Commander, said: “Firefighters were met with a fully-developed fire and they worked extremely hard for several hours to prevent the fire spreading to neighbouring properties.

“This was a protracted incident with crews working through the night to fully extinguish the fire. We deployed two of our 32-metre turntable ladders as water towers to help put out the fire from above.

“Whilst the fire was ongoing, we advised people in the local area to keep their windows and doors closed due the smoke travel from the incident. This smoke travel also resulted in the temporary closure of Forest Hill Station.

“An investigation into this fire remains ongoing; however I can confirm that the fire is being treated as accidental and is believed to have originated in a storage area.

“A small number of crews remain at the scene today extinguishing hotspots and assisting with the investigation.”

Forest Hill Station Commander, Mike Watts, said: “A 25-metre cordon remains in place and Perry Vale is currently closed to traffic; however the station reopened earlier this morning.

“The Brigade has worked closely with the local authority to support those affected by this fire. We will continue to have a visible presence in the area and will be liaising with local residents and businesses, sharing fire safety advice with them.”

The Brigade received the first of 52 calls at 1827 and Control Officers mobilised crews from Forest Hill, Lewisham, Beckenham, West Norwood and surrounding fire stations to the scene, along with two 32-metre turntable ladders. The Brigade also deployed a drone to provide the Incident Commander with a greater situational awareness of the fire.

The fire was brought under control by 2344.

The cause of the fire is being treated as accidental and is believed to have originated as a result of hot works taking place in the storage area to the rear of the shop."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UyzsvA469Y

https://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/topic...nt-1724074
..ON THIS THREAD THERE IS A POST ABOUT THE RESIDENTS IN THE FLAT ABOVE HAVING A CAT WHO RAN OFF IN TERROR..
A PICTURE IS POSTED OF THE CAT.
CAN EVERYONE KEEP AN EYE OUT PLEASE.

NottingHillbilly mentioned the cat - and really I hope its okay.

This is terrible for the Finch family, who've been serving Forest Hill for donkeys years, and I can't imagine how devastated they must feel right now.

There isn't an independent shop in Forest Hill that's had so much time, love, dedication and money invested into it by its owners and staff over many decades.

I hope their insurers sort this out and get them back up and running soon.

My best wishes go out to them all.

@Anotherjohn 100% agree with every word.
lets hope they can bounce back bigger and better from this