Firefighters are dealing with a huge fire at a house in Christchurch Road, near Brixton Hill.
The blaze began in the derelict building at about 4pm, and at least six fire engines are currently at the scene and the busy south circular road remains closed.
The building, called Clinton House, was once the home of the author Dennis Wheatley.
Eyewitness Gavin Ramjaun lives yards from the derelict building and was first alerted by the smell of smoke.
He told the Brixton Blog: “I had just got home and I could smell burning so I ran outside and saw smoke billowing from behind the trees. Everything was white.
“I saw the flames above the top of the trees and the smoke was everywhere. Someone from the doctors surgery next door rang the fire brigade and four engines were there in about two minutes.”
It is not known how the fire started, and no-one was thought to be hurt in the blaze.
Mr Ramjaun added: “There are all sorts of squatters there at night time, but the police told me there was no-one around when the fire started. They don’t know what happened.
Around the area there are lots of trees and the fire could easily have spread to surrounding houses. The fire brigade did a great job.”
The London Fire Brigade tweeted at 4pm today: “The whole of the first floor of a disused house in Christchurch Road, Tulse Hill is alight. There are six fire engines at the scene.”
At 4.45pm TfL said: “The A205 is closed in both directions due to a building fire. Use alternate routes. Traffic is slow moving on eastbound on Streatham Place and northbound on Brixton Hill. Expect delays.”
Brixton Blog reader Rachel Foote tweeted to say: “Huge fire in large sad derelict Victorian house between Palace and Christchurch Rds; 9 fire engines, 4 police cars, 2 ambulances. Awful.”
See video below by Gavin Ramjaun.
Did you see the fire? Email newsdesk@brixtonblog.com or call 0207 737 5417.
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What kind of parking is that!!!