LONDON (BRAIN) – Specialized Bicycles’ London headquarters were badly damaged by a fire that started on Saturday night.
“Over the weekend, we were notified that a fire affected our UK headquarters,” a company spokesman told BRAIN.
“Fortunately, no one was hurt, but unfortunately the fire had a devastating effect on our offices. Although there are short-term changes in certain commercial operations in the UK, our warehouse is located elsewhere and, therefore, our operations for passengers and retailers have not been affected. We are working closely with the authorities to understand more about what happened. “
Canyon Bicycle and GoCycle, the British e-bike brand, also have offices in the same Specialized business park in south-east London, but there is no report that the building of either company was affected.
About 45 specialized employees work in the office during normal hours, but most work remotely due to the restrictions of COVID-19. The The office had office space and a small warehouse, but the company said the warehouse space was not used to store inventory. The stock is kept in an external warehouse, the company said.
According to the London Fire Department, 12 fire engines and about 80 firefighters fought the fire. The LFB said a deposit unit was destroyed.
“Fire teams deployed a drone to provide an aerial view of the fire and used aerial ladder devices while working to control the fire. There were no reports of injuries,” said the LFB.
Station commander Neil Guyett, who came to the scene, said: “Fire crews arrived to find a well-developed fire and worked hard to control it in what was a protracted incident. There was thick smoke coming from the business park. “
The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Fire Investigation Unit of the Brigade and the Metropolitan Police. “The fire is believed to have been accidental, but the cause was recorded as undetermined,” said LFB.