House on ‘Billionaires’ Row’ in London destroyed in huge fire

A house on “Billionaires’ Row” has been destroyed in a huge fire on one of Britain’s most expensive streets.

Around 40 firefighters and six fire engines were called to The Bishops Avenue in East Finchley, north London, at around 3.45am on Monday.

The roof, first floor and ground floor of the detached property were destroyed by the inferno, the London Fire Brigade (LFB) confirmed.

The blaze was brought under control by 6am, but crews remained on the scene until later in the morning.

The house is understood to be currently disused and empty. No injuries were reported.

The cause of the fire is being probed by the LFB.

The ruined abode is situated on a street that is known as “Billionaires’ Row” due to the 66 sprawling mansions that are owned by the extremely rich.

Many of the homes sell for millions of pounds, but a number of the properties sit empty for significant parts of the year on the luxury road.

Richard Desmond, former owner of Express Newspapers and Channel 5, as well as members of the Saudi royal family and Canadian pop star Justin Bieber have all lived on the street for the rich.

Station Commander Rob Hazzard, who was at the scene, said: “The property is believed to be disused and empty at the time of the fire, so fortunately there were no reports of any injuries.

“Firefighters were faced with a significant fire on arrival which involved the whole of this large building.

“Crews worked hard to tackle the blaze and bring it under control.”

Firefighters from Finchley were joined by crews from West Hampstead, Hornsey and Kentish Town fire stations.