A potentially disastrous fire in the heart of Moorgate, Greater London, was mitigated today thanks to the sharp eyes and swift actions of Sean McHugh, a construction worker stationed at 21 Moorfields.

While working on an adjacent building, McHugh spotted a significant amount of smoke emanating from the roof of the structure. Initially dismissing it as a routine generator test, he quickly recognized the gravity of the situation within 30 seconds.

"My first thought was it's just a generator test. But it became clear pretty fast that it wasn't," McHugh recounted.

At precisely 11:19 a.m., McHugh’s colleague dialed the fire brigade. The building, earmarked for demolition and currently undergoing gutting, had only trade workers present. Yet, the threat of the blaze led to the evacuation of several nearby buildings, even those a few blocks away. The area rapidly transformed into a hive of activity, with the police cordoning off multiple streets.

A notable moment of collaboration arose when McHugh forwarded a video of the incident to his manager, who was at ground level. With fire trucks struggling to locate the precise site, the manager flagged them down, boarded the vehicle to provide directions, and shared McHugh's footage to guide the firefighters strategically.

There have been no reports of injuries, and the quick coordination between workers and emergency services stands out as a sterling example of community responsiveness.

Flames coming out of the roof in the city of London

Here’s a video of a bare man trying to put the fire out before it go any worse, today at Moorgate