Oxford Circus fire
Encyclopedia
The Oxford Circus fire occurred on Friday 23 November 1984 at 9:50 p.m. at the London Underground
Oxford Circus station
. Oxford Circus station is in the heart of London
's shopping district and is served by three deep-level tube lines; the Bakerloo Line
, Central Line
and Victoria Line
s. The three lines are linked by a complex network of tunnels and cross-passages and come to a common booking hall situated beneath the junction of Oxford Street and Regent Street.
The fire started in a materials store at the south end of the northbound Victoria Line platform, which was being used by contractors working on the modernisation of the station. It gutted the northbound Victoria Line platform tunnel and the passages leading off it. The adjacent northbound Bakerloo Line platform suffered smoke damage, as did the escalator tunnel and the booking hall. Other areas of the station were undamaged. The probable cause of the fire was smoker
's materials being pushed through a ventilation grille into the materials store. This ignited rags or paint thinner within the store.
, of whom all but one were released next day.
fibres into the atmosphere of the Underground. The removal took just over three weeks. Passenger services were re-started on the Central Line the following morning. Northbound Bakerloo Line trains were not permitted to stop at the station until 30 November, by which time the access tunnels to the Bakerloo northbound platform had been cleared of fire damage.
had been banned on London Underground trains since July 1984: in response to the Oxford Circus fire, a complete ban on smoking
in all sub-surface stations was introduced in February 1985. Nonetheless a similar incident
occurred in 1987 at King's Cross St. Pancras tube station
when a passenger on their way out of the station lit a cigarette and dropped the match onto an escalator. The resulting fire killed 31.
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
Oxford Circus station
Oxford Circus tube station
-External links:* ** ** * Plans of the station after the Victoria Line works , , *...
. Oxford Circus station is in the heart of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
's shopping district and is served by three deep-level tube lines; the Bakerloo Line
Bakerloo Line
The Bakerloo line is a line of the London Underground, coloured brown on the Tube map. It runs partly on the surface and partly at deep level, from Elephant and Castle in the south-east to Harrow & Wealdstone in the north-west of London. The line serves 25 stations, of which 15 are underground...
, Central Line
Central Line
The Central line is a London Underground line, coloured red on the tube map. It is a deep-level "tube" line, running east-west across London, and, at , has the greatest total length of track of any line on the Underground. Of the 49 stations served, 20 are below ground...
and Victoria Line
Victoria Line
The Victoria line is a deep-level London Underground line running from the south to the north-east of London. It is coloured light blue on the Tube map...
s. The three lines are linked by a complex network of tunnels and cross-passages and come to a common booking hall situated beneath the junction of Oxford Street and Regent Street.
The fire started in a materials store at the south end of the northbound Victoria Line platform, which was being used by contractors working on the modernisation of the station. It gutted the northbound Victoria Line platform tunnel and the passages leading off it. The adjacent northbound Bakerloo Line platform suffered smoke damage, as did the escalator tunnel and the booking hall. Other areas of the station were undamaged. The probable cause of the fire was smoker
Tobacco smoking
Tobacco smoking is the practice where tobacco is burned and the resulting smoke is inhaled. The practice may have begun as early as 5000–3000 BCE. Tobacco was introduced to Eurasia in the late 16th century where it followed common trade routes...
's materials being pushed through a ventilation grille into the materials store. This ignited rags or paint thinner within the store.
Evacuation
Oxford Circus station was rapidly evacuated when the fire was discovered, and the fire brigade conducted a sweep of the station which confirmed that all passengers were clear. The fire alert disrupted the routes of ten trains on the three lines: passengers on six of the trains were evacuated at stations and passengers on four trains were escorted down the running tunnels to adjacent stations. The last passenger evacuated from these trains left the track at 12:45 a.m. Thirty pumps attended the fire, which was declared extinguished just before 3 a.m. the next day.Injuries
No-one was killed as a result of the fire; 14 people (four passengers, one police officer and nine members of London Underground staff) were taken to hospital for smoke inhalationSmoke inhalation
Smoke inhalation is the primary cause of death in victims of indoor fires.Smoke inhalation injury refers to injury due to inhalation or exposure to hot gaseous products of combustion. This can cause serious respiratory complications....
, of whom all but one were released next day.
Reconstruction
The gutted areas of the station had to be completely reconstructed, which in the case of the Victoria Line platform tunnel involved sealing the ends so that the waterproof lining of the platform tunnel could be removed without releasing asbestosAsbestos
Asbestos is a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals used commercially for their desirable physical properties. They all have in common their eponymous, asbestiform habit: long, thin fibrous crystals...
fibres into the atmosphere of the Underground. The removal took just over three weeks. Passenger services were re-started on the Central Line the following morning. Northbound Bakerloo Line trains were not permitted to stop at the station until 30 November, by which time the access tunnels to the Bakerloo northbound platform had been cleared of fire damage.
Effects on services
Victoria Line service through central London and to the station recommenced on 17 December, with the platform tunnel having been stripped of all fittings down to the tunnel segment rings. Wooden hoardings were erected at the rear of the platform and the entire platform tunnel was whitewashed. Reconstruction of the decorative fittings on the platform was not completed until early 1986.Smoking bans
SmokingTobacco smoking
Tobacco smoking is the practice where tobacco is burned and the resulting smoke is inhaled. The practice may have begun as early as 5000–3000 BCE. Tobacco was introduced to Eurasia in the late 16th century where it followed common trade routes...
had been banned on London Underground trains since July 1984: in response to the Oxford Circus fire, a complete ban on smoking
Smoking ban
Smoking bans are public policies, including criminal laws and occupational safety and health regulations, which prohibit tobacco smoking in workplaces and/or other public spaces...
in all sub-surface stations was introduced in February 1985. Nonetheless a similar incident
King's Cross fire
The King's Cross St. Pancras tube station fire was a fatal fire on the London Underground. It broke out at approximately 19:30 on 18 November 1987, and killed 31 people....
occurred in 1987 at King's Cross St. Pancras tube station
King's Cross St. Pancras tube station
King's Cross St. Pancras is a tube station in the London Borough of Camden, on the London Underground network, serving both King's Cross and main line stations. It is in Travelcard Zone 1. It is the fourth busiest station on the system and serves more lines than any other...
when a passenger on their way out of the station lit a cigarette and dropped the match onto an escalator. The resulting fire killed 31.