Landmark art deco building in London damaged by fire - The Guardian

Residents of a landmark art deco building in the City of London were evacuated on Saturday evening after fire swept through part of the distinctive curved facade of the nine-storey block of flats.

Four fire engines and a specialist fire investigation unit were called to the incident at Florin Court in Charterhouse Square – better known to TV viewers as Whitehaven Mansions, the home of Agatha Christie's famous Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot.

Residents of the 120 flats – which include a large proportion of studio or bedsit apartments – were evacuated but nobody was hurt.

Alerted to the drama, actor David Suchet, who played the detective in the long-running British TV series, tweeted: "I am so sorry!! I do hope no-one was hurt?" In June he bowed out of the series after solving 67 cases.

The London fire brigade confirmed that a first-floor flat was "severely damaged" by the blaze, which also spread upwards to a second-floor flat, causing a small amount of damage. Smoke damage spread to six floors above and those whose homes were affected were moved to the Barbican Thistle hotel.

A spokesperson for the London fire brigade said: "We believe the fire was accidental, most likely caused by a cigarette. None of the occupants of the flat were smokers, so it's possible that someone threw a cigarette out of a window or off a roof terrace above, which then blew into an open window in the bedroom and started the fire.

"Wherever you're smoking, it's crucial to make sure you put out cigarettes fully before disposing of them, particularly in these dry conditions. Never, ever throw a lit cigarette out of a window – you have no control over where it ends up, and it could cause a great deal of damage and upset to you or someone else. It's very lucky no one was injured in this fire."

The 1930s apartment block, on the east side of Charterhouse Square and close to the Barbican estate, is considered an architectural gem of the art deco period and is popular for fashion photo shoots as well as Poirot. It is known for its distinctive curved facade, including curved glass in windows, many of which were shattered by the blaze.

One couple, who did not wish to be identified but who said they rented the flat above the one where the fire broke out, returned to look at the scene on Sunday morning and said: "There was a delivery van outside and we believe the driver called the fire brigade. It all happened so quickly but the first fire engine came within five minutes. It could have been a lot worse and we are thankful no one was hurt."