FIREFIGHTERS using breathing apparatus called for back-up to tackle a fire in Hatch End after fearing they were running out of air.
Crews from Harrow and Stanmore Fire Stations arrived to tackle the blaze that had been deliberately set at an abandoned building next to Roger Bannister Sports Ground in Uxbridge Road at 4.10pm yesterday.
Watch manager Martin Renson said: "When we got the 'tip sheet' of the call, we thought it was the sports ground itself was on fire but it was actually an old air raid shelter-type building nearby.
"Residents told us it may be an old Ministry of Defence building.
“It was full of stuff and we thought there may be tramps in there as the front door was insecure.
"It was a bit of a maze - it was a bit of an obstacle course and lots of junk so it caused a few problems.
"There was so much smoke that we couldn't find the seat of the fire.
"We had two, two-man crews and they were running out of air. You're only allowed 25 minutes per use, and we can only use them twice, so we had to call for more crews."
Support from Mill Hill and Northolt arrived, the later bringing a special fire engine with an extended platform ladder that was used to douse the flames from above after part of the roof had been removed.
Up to 20 firefighters spent three-and-a-half hours quelling the flames, which had damaged a fifth of the building while the entire single-storey structure suffered smoke damage.
Mr Renson said fire investigators concluded the blaze had been sparked when rubbish was set alight on purpose although there were no witnesses to help find a culprit.
