House On One Of World's Most Expensive Streets Destroyed By Fire

An investigation is underway after a house on one of the most expensive streets in the world was almost completely destroyed by a fire. 

Around 40 firefighters were called to a property on The Bishops Avenue – dubbed Billionaires Row – at 3.45am today (6 June), and flames were under control by 6am.

The Bishops Avenue is located between Hampstead Heath and East Finchley in north London.

London Fire Brigade

Station commander Rob Hazzard, who was at the scene, said the property is not believed to currently be in use and there have been no reports of any injuries.

Hazzard 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."

Six fire engines attended the home and came from stations in Finchley, West Hampstead, Hornsey and Kentish Town.

The area has since been cordoned off by emergency services as an investigation into the inferno’s cause continues. 

The London Fire Brigade (LFB) confirmed to The Independent that the first and ground floor of the detached property were destroyed, as was the roof. 

LADbible has reached out to the LFB for comment.

There are around 66 mansions on The Bishops Avenue, and properties sell for millions and millions of pounds.

London Fire Brigade

The street is thought to be one of the most expensive places to buy in the entire world, with the likes of Richard Desmond, former owner of Express Newspapers and Channel 5, as well as members of the Saudi royal family and even Justin Bieber having lived in the street.

However, many of the homes are left empty during large parts of the year, with The Guardian noting that ‘many plots stand empty or derelict after being left unused for years’.

Back in 2014, the paper ran an investigation that revealed a third of the mansions on Billionaires Row were vacant, noting ‘many are only used by their owners for short periods each year’.

Many properties are also registered to companies in tax havens like the British Virgin Islands and Panama, meaning owners are able to remain anonymous as they don’t pay stamp duty. 

David Ireland, chief executive of the Homes from Empty Homes campaign group, said back in 2014: “London's shortage of homes is so great that this feels immoral and dysfunctional. There are countless people in inadequate housing and here are homes on The Bishops Avenue that could be used.”