"Tourist Eric Bantug, who is visiting from Las Vegas, spoke of his shock at seeing a historic building in flames. "It was like people were in shock, everyone immediately just started leaving the street and the area. These are external links and will open in a new windowA huge fire broke out at a luxury hotel in central London a week after "the most extensive restoration in its 115-year history" was completed.Plumes of smoke were seen rising from the five-star Mandarin Oriental in Knightsbridge just before 16:00 BST.A total of 36 hotel guests and 250 members of hotel staff were evacuated - singer Robbie Williams was among them.The blaze reached several floors but was quickly extinguished, the London Fire Brigade (LFB) said.At the height of the fire about 120 firefighters and 20 engines were sent to the the 12-storey building in William Street, near Hyde Park.The cause of the fire is not yet known and firefighters are likely to remain at the scene through the night, a LFB spokesperson said.Both the ambulance service and the Met Police attended, although there were no reports of any injuries.Robbie Williams, 44, described the drama: "I went on the balcony and looked up and there was just billows and billows of smoke. "Firefighters are working extremely hard to bring the fire under control. ""I saw all this black smoke coming from the sky, it was covering everything and the smell was horrendous. I can't see any smoke, there are firefighters and the whole building is dripping wet right now," he added.We've now got 20 fire engines and around 120 firefighters and officers tackling a fire on the roof of a hotel in We rely on advertising to help fund our award-winning journalism.We urge you to turn off your ad blocker for The Telegraph website so that you can continue to access our quality content in the future.To watch The Telegraph's latest video content please visit Fire in central London: More than 100 firefighters sent to tackle blaze at Mandarin Oriental hotelSmoke rising from the Mandarin Oriental hotel in central LondonFirefighters tackle the blaze. I couldn't see anyone being evacuated but they had closed off the whole road. "I came back in from the balcony and said, 'The hotel's on fire,' and then the next thing a knock at the door came and there was a bellboy there and they said, 'Get out'." The pump was later seen with Shadbrook in series 13. "There were hundreds of fire engines, ambulances, police racing by and helicopters overhead. "I was down there myself and it was was surreal. Even from the park - the volume of smoke was something else. Williams and his wife Ayda Field, 39, ran down an external fire escape to safety.One hotel worker, who asked not to be named, said: "The fire alarm started and everybody was told to get outside. The Pump is called out to a group of medical students who have climbed aboard HMS Belfast as a part of a rag week stunt. She said:“The smoke from this large fire was very visible across central London this afternoon and we received a number of emergency calls. "Everything's fine but we don't know how it started yet. "But they were evacuating the building when I arrived, there were a fair amount of staff and guests and it was all fairly orderly. About 120 firefighters were sent to tackle the fire Guests and staff used fire escapes to flee the blaze Guests at the hotel - including Robbie Williams, the singer - climbed several floors down external fire escapes to get away from thick black smoke billowing above them.The fire came only a week after the completion of "the most extensive restoration in its 115-year history".Nearby clubs, shops and restaurants were also cleared after London Fire Brigade officers feared the fire could spread.As firefighters on tall ladders doused the flames the evacuees, many of them dazed and in shock, gathered with curious onlookers along Knightsbridge to stare at the building.London Fire Brigade dispatched 20 fire engines and 120 officers and firefighters to the hotel, which backs onto Hyde Park, along with several ambulances.Simon Cockshutt, a retired solicitor, said: “People starting coming down the external fire escape as the thick black smoke billowed above them.

A fire at London's five star Mandarin Oriental hotel saw dozens of guests and staff evacuated as over 100 firefighters were dispatched to the Hyde Park area to control the blaze. "It was like people were in shock, everyone immediately just started leaving the street and the area. "HART are specially trained medics who provide life saving medical care in hazardous environments including complex extractions and multiple casualty incidents.The 12-storey Mandarin Oriental has previously been used by the Royal Family and the Queen hosted an event there on the eve of Prince William’s wedding to Catherine Middleton in 2011.It was due to host another royal event tonight - the 50th Anniversary Dinner of the Blues and Royals Club - to be attended by The Princess Royal. "He said: "I obviously was quite shocked when I saw all that smoke. Joe and Sally are determined to keep their relationship a secret from the rest of the watch. This is at the request of the emergency services. For series 10, it was decided to give London's Burning a more modern look, and thus the old London lookalike pumps were replaced by new appliances exactly the same as those used in London. "It's really black smoke, it was billowing towards Harrods," she said. Get out the lift shaft, I'm being serious'. The Volvo/Saxon combination could be seen at most London fire stations. The 47-year-old financial services worker, said: "I was just coming up from the Tube and smelled the fire.