Early this morning, a fire broke out at a laundry warehouse on Jackson Way in Southall. Four fire engines and approximately 25 firefighters were dispatched to the scene.

Crews successfully extinguished a small fire on the first floor of the building, with no injuries reported.

The London Fire Brigade has determined the fire was accidental, caused by the self-heating of textiles.

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A spokesperson explained that such fires are often linked to fabrics contaminated with oils like linseed, massage, or cooking oil, commonly found on tea towels, tablecloths, and chefs' uniforms.

The spokesperson advised: "Make sure you check the manufacturer's cleaning recommendations of your textiles before washing."

"Sometimes when materials are cleaned and put in tumble dryers, the heat from the tumble drying cannot escape. This can result in a high enough temperature allowing it to build up to a point where it smoulders and eventually ignites."

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"If you are washing and then drying on a hot cycle, always use the cooling cycle on the tumble dryer so it cools down and allow the heat to dissipate properly, before stacking laundered items together."

The London Fire Brigade’s Control Officers received the call at 4:16 am and dispatched teams from Southall, Ealing, and Acton fire stations. Firefighters brought the situation under control by 5:17 am.

No further incidents have been reported at the site.