--- description: Londoners watched in shock as a 24-floor residential tower was transformed into an urban inferno title: Scenes From the West London High-Rise Fire image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt00cbfe227a35cd2c/6988d18a86f68e45976e520c/grenfell-tower-london-fire-8.jpg?branch=production ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [United Kingdom](/tag/united-kingdom/) ## United Kingdom Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Scenes From the Massive West London High-Rise Fire by [TIME Staff](/author/time-staff/) ## TIME Staff Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jun 14, 2017 7:14 AM CUT  Police and rescue services operate near the fire at the Grenfell Tower apartment block in North Kensington, London, on June 14, 2017. Police and rescue services operate near the fire at the Grenfell Tower apartment block in North Kensington, London, on June 14, 2017.Andy Rain—EPA by [TIME Staff](/author/time-staff/) ## TIME Staff Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jun 14, 2017 7:14 AM CUT Londoners watched in shock as a 24-floor residential tower was transformed into an urban inferno early Wednesday. [Flames engulfed](http://time.com/4817549/london-apartment-grenfell-fire/?xid=homepage "undefined") the Grenfell Tower, in west London’s North Kensington neighborhood, starting at around 1 a.m. local time, and the high-rise apartment complex continued to burn for more than four hours. The Associated Press reports that 45 fire engines and more than 200 firefighters rushed to the scene to respond. At least 50 people were taken to hospitals, according to the London Ambulance Service, amid fears that others may have been trapped inside. The city’s Mayor Sadiq Khan said on Twitter that the blaze is being treated as a “major incident.” Emergency responders are still on the scene. London Fire Brigade Commissioner Dany Cotton confirmed at a televised press conference that there were a number of fatalities, but the death toll is still unclear. The cause of the fire is still unknown. _This is a developing story, please check back for updates._  Flames and smoke billow as firefighters deal with a serious fire in a tower block at Latimer Road in West London on June 14, 2017. Toby Melville—Reuters  Flames and smoke billow as firefighters deal with a serious fire in a tower block at Latimer Road in West London on June 14, 2017. Toby Melville—Reuters  A man peers out of a window from a building on fire in West London on June 14, 2017\. The blaze, which ignited overnight, was burning well after the sun rose as some 200 firefighters battled the flames. Matt Dunham—AP  Police and rescue services operate near the fire at the Grenfell Tower apartment block in North Kensington, London, on June 14, 2017. Andy Rain—EPA  Smoke rises from a high-rise building that caught fire overnight in West London on June 14, 2017. Matt Dunham—AP  Smoke rises from the fire at the Grenfell Tower apartment block in North Kensington, London, on June 14, 2017. Will Oliver—EPA  A man stands amid debris after a serious fire in a tower block at Latimer Road in West London on June 14, 2017. Toby Melville—Reuters  Firefighters spray water into the smoldering frame of a high-rise that caught fire overnight in West London on June 14, 2017. Toby Melville—Reuters  Emergency personnel operate next to the fire at the Grenfell Tower apartment block in North Kensington, London, on June 14, 2017. 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