FLATDWELLERS were evacuated after a ferocious fire broke out in two commercial premises located in the same area where eight suspected arsons occurred. 

Thirty people left their first floor apartments and nineteen of them were taken to Harrow Arts Centre in Uxbridge Road, Harrow, for refuge after Capital Car Factors, a car repair shop in Long Elmes, caught alight at 2.40am yesterday morning and the flames spread to the neighbouring Post Office and convenience store called Sitals after owner Sital Patel.

Forty firefighters from Harrow, Ealing, Wembley, Stanmore, Northolt, Feltham, Park Royal and North Kensington stations tackled the flames, which severely damaged the business, and had quelled them by 6.35am.

This fire comes after police released details of eight suspected arsons across Harrow Weald that were being linked because of their close location and the fact they all broke out in the early hours of the morning.

Station manager Carl St Paul said: "Crews worked well to get the fire under control and to confine it to the ground floor of the property. 

"There were cylinders in the building and as they can explode when they are exposed to heat, locating which cylinders were involved in the fire and making them safe was our priority."

London Assembly member for Harrow and Brent, Councillor Navin Shah (Labour), said: "On arriving at the incident site I was relieved that no one was hurt and the fire was so quickly put out thanks to the efficiency of rapidly and stopped it from spreading to the flats above and the entire parade of shops. 

"A couple of residents and shop-keepers were very concerned that the same shop had been subject of couple of fires in the last three years. 

"This is very worrying and I've asked the fire authority to investigate this and also see whether anything can be done to safeguard properties from fire risk from cylinders in storage boilers. 

"It appears that there have been spate of fires in this areas which is another worry - both the police and fire brigade need to look into this." 
A Harrow Police spokesman said: "This fire is being treated as suspicious and Harrow CID are investigating.
"The scene has been forensically examined and a criminal investigation continues.
"There has been a linked series of arsons close to the area in which skips and cars have been set alight.  There is a possibility that this fire may be connected.
"There have been no arrests."