Under control: 70 firefighters took two hours to get the Thornton Heath blaze under control

There were no reports of any injuries after a fire spread across two neighbouring residential properties on Lenham Road, just off Grangewood Park, in the early hours of this morning.

Thornton Heath locals spoke of the smell of smoke still lingering over the neighbourhood as they set about their Bank Holiday weekend today.

Ten fire engines and around 70 firefighters were called to the fire which began in a mid-terraced house that had been converted into flats. Part of the ground and first floors and the whole of the roof of one building was alight, as well as part of the ground floor of the next-door property.

Station Commander Alec McNally, who was at the scene, said: “Crews worked hard to bring the fire under control as quickly and safely as possible.

“The blaze was producing a significant amount of smoke and we encouraged nearby residents to keep their windows and doors closed while crews brought the incident under control.”

One of the Brigade’s 32-metre turntable ladders was used at the scene as a water tower to tackle flames from height.

The Brigade’s Control Officers took the first calls to the fire at 2.18am and sent crews from West Norwood, Norbury, Woodside, Beckenham, Forest Hill, Croydon, Tooting and other stations. The fire was under control by 4.29am.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Inside Croydon – If you want real journalism, delivering real news, from a publication that is actually based in the borough, please consider paying for it. Sign up today: click here for more details

PAID ADS: To advertise your services or products to our 10,000 weekday visitors to the site, as featured on Google News Showcase, email us inside.croydon@btinternet.com for our unbeatable ad rates

• If you have a news story about life in or around Croydon, or want to publicise your residents’ association or business, or if you have a local event to promote, please email us with full details at inside.croydon@btinternet.com

• As featured on Google News Showcase

• We offer FREE ads to community groups when they have members who are paid subscribers to Inside Croydon

• Our comments section on every report provides all readers with an immediate “right of reply” on all our content. Our comments policy can be read by clicking here

• ROTTEN BOROUGH AWARDS: In January 2026, Croydon was named among the country’s rottenest boroughs for an EIGHTH time in nine years, in Private Eye magazine’s annual round-up of civic cock-ups

• Inside Croydon is a member of the Independent Community News Network