Overview
- Fire tore through a derelict two‑storey sports centre on Imperial Way just before 4:30pm on March 2 and was brought under control shortly before 10pm, with crews remaining overnight to damp down hot spots.
- About 70 firefighters and 10 engines from Croydon, Purley, Wallington, Norbury, Mitcham and nearby stations responded, using two 32‑metre turntable ladders and drones providing aerial and thermal imagery.
- The London Fire Brigade reported no injuries and advised nearby residents and businesses to keep windows and doors closed due to smoke.
- The brigade received five separate calls alerting its switchboard to the incident before crews arrived to find most of the building alight.
- In a separate February 23 house fire in Waddon, two victims were named as Sai Srikar Kamineni, 26, and Ganti Abhishek, 28, with the cause under investigation by the London Fire Brigade and Metropolitan Police.