Fire that shut Heathrow was caused by a preventable technical fault known for years, report finds
Europe's busiest air hub shut for about 18 hours in March after a fire knocked out one of the three electrical substations that supply Heathrow with power. More than 270,000 passengers had journeys disrupted.
Counterterrorism police initially led the investigation into the fire, which came as authorities across Europe girded against sabotage backed by Russia.
Though authorities quickly ruled out vandalism or sabotage, the fire's huge impact raised concern about the resilience of Britain's energy system to accidents, natural disasters or attacks.
The government ordered an investigation into 'any wider lessons to be learned on energy resilience for critical national infrastructure.'
The report by the National Energy System Operator said that an 'elevated moisture reading' had been found in oil samples at the substation in west London in July 2018, but action wasn't taken to replace electrical insulators known as bushings.
It said that the March 20 blaze was caused by a 'catastrophic failure' in one of the transformers, 'most likely caused by moisture entering the bushing causing a short circuit' that ignited the oil.
The report also said Heathrow underestimated the likelihood of losing one of its three power sources, and as a result, 'its internal electrical distribution network was not designed or configured to take advantage of having multiple supply points to provide quick recovery following such a loss.'
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said that the findings were 'deeply concerning.' He said that energy industry regulator Ofgem had opened an investigation into whether the substation's operator, National Grid Electricity Transmission, had breached its license conditions.
National Grid said that Britain has 'one of the most reliable networks in the world, and events of this nature are rare. National Grid has a comprehensive asset inspection and maintenance program in place, and we have taken further action since the fire.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
12 hours ago
- CTV News
Apartment building fire leaves residents displaced in Goderich
Damage seen from an apartment fire in Goderich, Ont. on Aug. 1, 2025. (Source: Phil Main) Damage from an apartment building fire in Goderich Friday night has left residents displaced. Emergency responders said around 11:20 p.m., they responded to the incident on Nelson Street. As of 2 a.m. Saturday, firefighters were still on scene. Residents and the public are asked to stay away from the area. Residents were evacuated on Brock Street and Nelson Street East because of the blaze. A warming centre was opened at the Knights of Columbus building. Goderich apartment fire Damage seen from an apartment fire in Goderich, Ont. on Aug. 1, 2025. (Source: Phil Main) No injuries have been reported. Nelson Street is closed between Cambria Road North and Albert Street. In a news release, Goderich Mayor Trevor Bazinet said: 'We are relieved to report that no injuries have been sustained from this incident. The well-being of our community members remains our top priority, and we are thankful for the quick response of our emergency services that made this possible.' For those wanting to support affected residents, Bazinet said gift card donations can be made instead of food items. 'Gift cards for groceries and essentials can provide affected families the flexibility to meet their specific needs during this difficult time,' he said. 'Gift cards may be dropped off to Town Hall, 57 West Street, this Tuesday (Aug. 5) to Friday (Aug. 8), 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.'
CBC
a day ago
- CBC
The Black Londoners Project uncovers lost histories of freedom seekers who settled here
Social Sharing Researchers at Western University have been working since 2023 to trace the histories of Black freedom seekers who came to London after escaping enslavement. Now they've launched an online map and database to share these stories with the public. "I think the whole project itself has been a large positive for me," Ronique Gillis, one of the research assistants working on the project, said. "I'm getting to learn a lot about the Black community that I did not know even existed in London." Somewhere around 1855, a formerly enslaved woman living in London, referred to only as Mrs. Brown, shared her story with Benjamin Drew, a white abolitionist author from Boston. Her account was only three sentences long: "I keep a boarding-house, and have now ten boarders, all fugitives, as nearly as I can recollect. One of them came last winter. They have all got employment." She's among the stories of 16 formerly enslaved people who'd fled to London were included in Drew's book, A North-Side View of Slavery. While at first glance, these accounts give only a fleeting glimpse into the lives of the freedom seekers who lived here, The Black Londoners Project was able to use this information as a starting point. With the help of historical archives, censuses and other available records, the research team has been able to uncover details of their lives that were previously buried. Their stories are now available to read online, and can even be visually traced on an interactive map from likely points of origin, to locations around London where they owned businesses and properties, and where meaningful events in their lives took place. The research group presented these findings last week at a celebration of Emancipation Day at Fanshawe Pioneer Village. Records for people of colour not preserved. Currently, three histories are presented in the online database: Mrs. Brown, Margaret Henderson, and simply " An Old Woman." Attempting to piece these stories together, and those of the other 13 freedom seekers, has been challenging, according to Alyssa MacLean, an assistant professor at Western and one of the project's co-founders. "The reality is that a lot of records for people of colour were not preserved and a lot of records, especially for women of colour, were not really recorded in the system," she explained. "It was male-dominated and focused on the white population of London." There was also the fact that many formerly enslaved people did not want to be found, MacLean said, explaining that many were scared of their former enslavers, or had families who had not escaped. In the case of An Old Woman, her account to Drew explicitly states her request for anonymity. In many cases, MacLean said, this wariness extended to census takers, police and other officials, and many preferred to just "go underground." "I'm left to wonder about the totality of the experience that she's had," Gillis said of An Old Woman. "How she was able to adjust and who she interacted with… I just found myself wanting to know more about her life." For Gillis, it was the women's stories that stuck with her the most. They wrote in more detail about their family members, and the impact of leaving their life behind and adjusting to new surroundings, she explained. "I found those stories especially empowering because of that loss," Gillis said. "That's not to say that the men didn't experience similar loss, but theirs were told with a lot more emotion in regards to the familial life." Even though the current goal is to trace the lives of these 16 individuals, the project's other co-founder, Miranda Green-Barteet, regularly tells the rest of the team that it's a "forever project." Both MacLean and Gillis agree. "There's so much history that is left untold, so this project really and truly could go on forever," GIllis said. "I continue to learn that these histories are not exactly well kept by the institutions, but they are really well kept by the communities," she added.
CTV News
2 days ago
- CTV News
Two pubs claim to be London's oldest riverside pub. Which one is right?
LONDON (AP) — On a charming cobblestone street tucked away in London's East End, a pub proudly hangs out a sign that reads 'Oldest riverside pub in London.' Across the Thames River, a pub with a different name makes the same bold claim. The unofficial title of the oldest riverside pub in the city has long been disputed, with both the Mayflower and the Prospect of Whitby laying claim to the title. The two contenders can be found along a quiet stretch of the Thames, far from the city's crowded souvenir shops and tourist sites, serving up traditional British dishes — from steak and ale pie to sticky toffee pudding — with a side of history. The Mayflower is named after the Pilgrim Mayflower ship, which set sail from the site in 1620 to begin its journey to America. Though it only got its name in 1957, it is said to have some of the ship's original timbers incorporated into its structure. Today, pubgoers who can prove direct descent from one of the Mayflower passengers can sign its 'Descendants Book.' Escaping the skyscrapers Every night, tourists step out of black cabs at the doors of the two pubs, trading the capital's modern skyscrapers for the storied streets of London's East End, lined with quaint terraced houses and red brick warehouses. In both pubs they enter spaces where old paintings hanging on dark paneled walls and other mementos of their histories seem to leave the contemporary world behind. 'There really is a feeling that you might have stepped back in time and could be drinking beer with sailors or pirates or anybody from any Dickens novels really,' said Emily Godwin, a Londoner who has been to both. She spoke while sipping a pint of lager with friends at the Prospect on a recent summer evening. The Prospect boasts a pewter bar – the longest of its kind in Britain — where the infamous 'Hanging Judge Jeffreys' is said to have watched the many hangings that took place at the nearby 'Execution Dock.' Early on, the pub was known as the Devil's Tavern due to its association with thieves and smugglers. A hanging noose outside serves as a reminder of the pub's grisly history. It 'feels like such a pocket of history in London,' Godwin said. 'So much of London's East End feels very new and trendy, and the Prospect feels like it's barely changed.' Challenging times for the pub industry British pubs have always been at the center of social life, with locals coming together over a pint, even in times of war and economic hardship. But the last five years have been challenging for the industry as pubs contended with the COVID-19 pandemic and rising costs. This year an estimated 378 venues are set to shutter across England, Wales, and Scotland, according to the British Beer and Pub Association. 'When a pub closes, it puts people out of a job, deprives communities of their heart and soul and hurts the local economy,' said Emma McClarkin, head of the BBPA. Pubs across the country have been forced to find new ways to attract customers. History is a big draw for pubgoers, with a trip to a traditional British pub coming in high on tourists' London bucket lists, raising the stakes of the Prospect and the Mayflower's competition. A 'loving rivalry' The Prospect claims it was established in 1520, with its original flagstone surviving an arson attack in 1666 — the same year as the Great Fire of London. The pub was outside of the city limits at that time and was not affected by the conflagration that gutted the medieval city. Justin Billington, assistant manager at the Prospect, said some people date the pub to its full reconstruction in 1774 after the 1666 fire. But he doesn't see it that way, noting that it operated continuously. The day after the fire, the workers rolled out a barrel of beer that had survived the flames and locals showed up with their tankards, drinking vessels, and enjoyed a drink on the spot. There were several reconstructions in the pub's subsequent history, but none withstood the salt water and shifting foundations of the Thames, Billington explained. Not, that is, until 1774 when the retired captain of a merchant ship called 'The Prospect' rebuilt it using the ship. 'This rebuild held and continues to hold on for dear life,' he said. If the pub was actually established in 1774, that would make the Mayflower — established in the 16th century — older. But there are no hard feelings between the pubs as Billington described their competition as a 'loving rivalry.' 'We compete against each other to be the oldest, and to serve the best food and drink,' he said. The search for the oldest pub in London But the question remains: How can either pub definitively claim the title? Unlike the title of the 'Oldest pub in England,' held by the Porch House in southern England, which is said to date to the 10th century, there is no official certification for the oldest pub in London. Guinness World Records said it has not formally awarded the title because of the complexities created by numerous name changes, relocations and reconstructions. 'There are lots of very old pubs that might make a claim to being oldest, but it could be contested because it could be argued they weren't always in 'London,'' English historian and author Jacob Field said. 'Many pubs have changed name over time, making it hard to claim they are the oldest.' Lydia Doye, The Associated Press
