Birmingham flat fire on 17th floor of tower block as residents evacuated

Emergency services responded to the blaze at Cleveland Tower, on Holloway Head

A man was rushed to hospital and residents were evacuated after a fire broke out on the 17th floor of a high rise in Birmingham city centre today, Friday, October 18. Emergency services responded to the blaze at Cleveland Tower, on Holloway Head.

Eight fire engines from West Midlands Fire Service were dispatched to the incident after the call came in around 5am. The fire had affected around 20 per cent of a flat and was brought under control by crews. There was significant smoke logging to several floors of the building, which was later ventilated.

One man was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation by paramedics from West Midlands Ambulance. He was taken to hospital for further checks. No other casualties were reported.

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In a statement, the fire service said: "At approximately 5.00am on Friday 18 October 2024, West Midlands Fire Service responded to a fire in a high-rise residential building, Cleveland Tower, on Holloway Head, Birmingham. A total of eight fire engines were mobilised to the incident, where a flat on the 17th floor had caught fire.

"The first crews arrived on the scene in just over three minutes after being mobilised. Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus entered the building and used hose reels to extinguish the blaze. The fire, which had affected around 20 per cent of the flat, was brought under control and was contained to the room of origin.

"One man was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation by West Midlands Ambulance paramedics and was transported to hospital for further checks. No other casualties were reported. The fire caused significant smoke logging to several floors of the building, which our crews worked to ventilate fully. By 7.30am, the fire was fully extinguished.

"At around 9.00am, residents, except those on the affected floor, were safely allowed back into their homes. Representatives from Citizen Housing are at the scene supporting residents. We’ve since scaled down our resources at the scene to three fire engines while we make investigations and continue to make the scene safe.

"Roads that had been closed for safety, including Holloway Head and Ellis Street, have been reopened. The cause of the fire is not yet confirmed."

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