The main office building at Elstree Film and Television Studios had to be evacuated on Thursday morning after a fire was discovered in one of the rooms.

Firefighters were called to the blaze at the Maxwell Building at the studios, in Elstree Way, Borehamwood, at 9.15am after staff had been alerted by a fire alarm.

Three fire engines arrived at the scene and the fire, in a room used by a firm called Everything Audio, was brought under control within 30 minutes.

No one was injured in the blaze, but it caused severe damage to two rooms, which contained video recording equipment, and smoke damage on the first floor.

Studios director Neville Reid said: "If everyone here and the fire brigade had not acted so quickly, this would have been much more serious."

A rolling team of ten firefighters, including personnel from Borehamwood and Potters Bar fire stations, used breathing apparatus to tackle the fire.

Staff were allowed back into the building at around 12 noon, after fire officers had used a thermal imaging camera to check the fire had been extinguished.

November 7, 2001 13:48