A massive fire has destroyed a major property on London’s Billionaire’s Row, where houses cost a total of £350 million.
Around 40 firefighters went to the scene on Hampstead’s The Bishops Avenue, which is widely regarded as one of the world’s wealthiest avenues.
The Sultan of Brunei and Canadian pop singer Justin Bieber are both former residents and owners of residences in the region.
At 3.45 a.m., emergency personnel came on the scene and addressed a large house that was on fire.
The roof, first floor, and ground floor of the separate property were entirely destroyed, according to the London Fire Brigade.
The house is believed to be empty and disused, with graffiti daubed on its side. It is unclear who owns it.
The fire, which is under investigation, was brought under control by 6am but crews stayed at the scene for several hours.
The owner of the house that was destroyed by the fire remains unknown. The home is not believed to be in use at this time, according to station commander Rob Hazzard, and no casualties have been reported.
‘The property is understood to have been derelict and empty at the time of the incident, so there were no reports of any casualties,’ Mr Hazzard said.
‘When firefighters arrived, they were met with a massive fire that had engulfed the entire structure.’
‘Crews put forth a lot of effort to put out the fire and bring it under control.’
Some of the world’s wealthiest people have lived on the 66-house street, including Saudi royals, Heather Mills, and Sir Billy Butlin, the founder of the holiday camps.
Billionaire Richard Desmond, former owner of Express Newspapers and founder of Northern & Shell which publishes Ok! magazine, also owned a mansion on the street.
However, many of the luxury homes on the street have been uninhabited since they were purchased in the 1980s.
A row of 10 houses, worth £73million, has stood empty ever since they were reportedly bought by the Saudi royal family.
In 2016 Justin Bieber was reported to be renting a 15-bedroom mansion on the street for £108,000 a month.
According to a 2014 investigation by the Guardian, the row of homes is valued almost £350 million. It will now be substantially more valuable.
‘Ninety-five percent of the individuals who live here don’t truly live here,’ a resident told the tabloid. It’s a truly awful place to live.
‘It’s tedious, and the road is congested.’ In any case, I don’t think many people want to live in such large houses.’
Many of the homes were purchased in the late 1980s for roughly £1 million but were never lived in, and now a detached mansion on the street will be sold for £15 million.
Derelict images from the street reveal how the once magnificent mansions have been left to crumble.