125 firefighters rushed to the blaze at the Admiralty Pub by Trafalgar Square on Tuesday evening

A Central London pub has been left with its windows completely smashed after a huge fire erupted from the basement. Around 150 people were evacuated and three people were treated by paramedics at the scene after the blaze broke out at the Admiralty Pub in Trafalgar Square yesterday afternoon (Tuesday, July 12).

Huge plumes of smoke and bright orange flames burst from the building as terrified witnesses stood to watch the dramatic scenes. London Fire Brigade said there were 20 fire engines, and 125 firefighters tackling the fire as 'half the basement' was alight, warning people to avoid the area. An eyewitness who works nearby witnessed the fire unfold and said the smoke was so bad the whole of Trafalgar Square was full of it.

On Wednesday morning, the pub remained cordoned off by police until the building was cool enough for firefighters to head in to investigate the cause of the fire. Pictures show the glass windows completely smashed with a blackened interior. Flowers on the windowsill were wilted after the blaze.

A spokesperson for LFB said: "A number of people were evacuated from the pub and surrounding businesses before the Brigade arrived. Please avoid the area if possible as there will be heavy traffic disruption. 20 fire engines and around 125 firefighters are dealing with the blaze in the sub basement. Crews are working in arduous, challenging and hot conditions. Around 150 people evacuated before we arrived."

A spokesperson for the London Ambulance Service said: “We were called at 6.01pm yesterday (12 July) to reports of a fire at Charing Cross. We sent three ambulance crews, an incident response officer, and members of our Hazardous Area Response Team (HART). Our crews treated three patients at the scene, before being stood down.”

A spokesperson for the Met told MyLondon on Tuesday: "Police are assisting with road closures following reports of a fire at an address in Spring Gardens SW1. No reports of any injuries at this time."

The Mall in both directions between Trafalgar Square and Horse Guards Road was closed due to the incident.

We covered this breaking story live, read all the updates below.

Photos from yesterday evening show firefighters taking a break as they tackle the blaze during the current heat wave.

Firefighters were pictures sat down drinking water and pouring it over their heads in an attempt to cool down.

Yesterday, the London Fire Brigade tweeted: "Crews are working in arduous, challenging & hot conditions. It’s a hot night so crews are taking on a lot of water. Please spare a thought for all firefighters dealing with fires in these conditions."

Looking in through the smashed pub windows, the interior appears mostly intact. Flags and artwork which decorate the pub seem to be untouched, and the walls don't look scorched.

However, the blaze happened in the basement, so it is sure to be a different story down there.

Three people were treated by paramedics at the scene yesterday, the London Ambulance Service has confirmed.

A spokesperson said: “We were called at 6.01pm yesterday (12 July) to reports of a fire at Charing Cross. We sent three ambulance crews, an incident response officer, and members of our Hazardous Area Response Team (HART). Our crews treated three patients at the scene, before being stood down.”

An eyewitness who works nearby witnessed the fire unfold and said the smoke was so bad the whole of Trafalgar Square was full of it. The man, who wishes to remain anonymous, said he went out to see what was happening at around 5.50pm, after being called by his building’s security.

He said it "wasn’t so bad to begin with" but then the smoke got worse.

He continued: “You could tell it was coming from the cellar because it [the smoke] was all coming from that lower part of the building. The fire brigade put out the windows. Walking back to Charing Cross the whole square was full of smoke. They extended the cordon because there was such heavy smoke coming out. It looked very dramatic."

The smoke was heavy, but the eyewitness didn't see any flames. He added: “It was a big amount of smoke but I couldn’t see any flames whatsoever. The smoke across Trafalgar Square was getting to people."

On the pub itself, he said: "“It’s a shame, it’s a nice old pub. The staff will probably lose wages until it opens up again which will be a shame. I’m pretty sure it’s a listed building so they will have to put it back the way it was.”

Restaurants in the area lost business as people stayed away from the area in order to stay safe while the blaze raged on on Tuesday evening.

A waiter from Thai Square told MyLondon that the restaurant lost customers yesterday during the fire, but that they are back open today and ready to serve people.

Footage seen by MyLondon shows black smoke billowing from the blaze yesterday evening.

The thick smoke was seen climbing high into the sky as bystanders looked on with concern.

A firefighter used an axe to smash through the pub windows and gain entry while tackling the blaze last night.

Firefighters were also seen using water hoses and one of their multi-storey ladders to put the fire out.

You can see more pictures of the firefighters at work yesterday here.

The police cordon and barriers which are in place surrounding the pub are there while the building cools, a spokesperson from the Met Police told MyLondon.

Once the building has cooled down, the fire brigade will go in and investigate to try to ascertain the cause of the fire.

The cause of the blaze is as yet unknown.

Pictures from our reporter at the scene show the shattered windows and flowers on the windowsills wilted after the blaze.

A barrier can be seen surrounding the pub leaving a metre or so between the public and The Admiralty while firefighters wait for the building to cool down.

Each window is shattered with a large gaping hole surrounded by shards of glass. The flowers on the windowsill look like they are dying after experiencing the heat of the blaze yesterday.

An eyewitness told our reporter at the scene that at first he was worried it was a terrorist attack because it was so dramatic.

“At first, because it’s London, you know, you worry if it’s terrorists,” he said.

The eyewitness added that he had heard the fire started in the kitchen of the pub but by the end of the night you could see tables on fire. The official cause of the fire is not yet known.

A woman who works nearby, said it was "frightening".

She said: "I saw it last night, there were hundreds of firefighters everywhere. It’s frightening because it was so hot, it could’ve just taken the whole building."

Welcome back to our coverage of the fire at The Admiralty pub in Trafalgar Square yesterday evening.

As it stands this morning, one fire engine and several fire fighters remain at the scene investigating. A police cordon is in place while the building cools down.

Two police officers and a security guard are standing by the cordon. MyLondon understands that the fire brigade are waiting for the building to cool down before entering to find the cause of the fire.

Most of The Admiralty's windows are smashed with shattered glass all over the floor around the building as well as drinking glasses and flower petals.

Thank you for following our live coverage of the fire in Trafalgar Square.

Here is a recap of what happened:

LFB has said that the fire is under control, but crews will remain at the scene throughout the night while they work to determine the cause of the blaze.

Pictures have emerged from a blaze in the basement of a pub in Central London this afternoon. More than 100 firefighters have been tackling a “challenging” fire at The Admiralty pub in Trafalgar Square which broke out shortly before 5.50pm today (June 12).

Images from the scene show huge plumes of smoke billowing from the building. London Fire Brigade say 150 people were evacuated from the pub before fire crews arrived on the scene. Among those rescued from the blaze was tiny dog, which has been pictured being cradled by one of the firefighters.

You can read the full story here.

A firefighter has been captured comforting a dog amid the fire outbreak.

Over 100 firefighters are thought to be tackling the blaze.

The London Fire Brigade has reported that steady progress is being made in tackling the blaze at the Admiralty pub in Trafalgar Square.

It added that firefighters are likely to remain on the scene for several hours.

Steady progress is being made at the Trafalgar Square pub fire. We’re likely to be at the scene for hours to come. It’s a hot night so crews are taking on a lot of water. Please spare a thought for all firefighters dealing with fires in these conditions https://t.co/989mlrXzAU pic.twitter.com/HPXi1NyvhX

Here is a summary of what has happened so far:

The Admiralty pub - where the fire broke out - has tweeted out about the incident, stating that it will be closed until further notice.

Due to the current situation The Admiralty is closed until further notice. We’ll update our website and social channels in due course.

A video shared on social media has shown a firefighter tackling the blaze through the smashed window of the Admiralty pub, Trafalgar Square.

Around 125 firefighters are on the scene, with 20 fire engines.

More from the fire at The Admiralty in Trafalgar Square @LondonFire are truly amazing pic.twitter.com/xwvdNJcvZn

The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has expressed his distress upon hearing about the fire, adding that he is in touch with the London Fire Commissioner.

Distressing to hear of the events unfolding at a pub near Trafalgar Square. I am in touch with the London Fire Commissioner. Please avoid the area and allow the @LondonFire to do their job. https://t.co/u52jd7Sq5h

Station Commander Keith McDermott, who is at the scene said: “The fire is in the sub-basement of a pub in Trafalgar Square.

"Due to the arduous, challenging and hot conditions inside the basement we've increased the number of fire engines and firefighters at the scene.

"Around 150 people evacuated the pub and surrounding businesses before the Brigade arrived. There has been no reports of any injuries."

More help has arrived on the scene, with around 125 firefighters and 20 fire engines tackling the blaze.

The London Fire Brigade has also confirmed that around 150 people have been evacuated. There have been no reports of injuries so far.

Buses are on diversion following the outbreak of the fire, with diversion routes seemingly not yet finalised. One Londoner close to the scene has said she does not know where her bus is due to stop.

@TfL with the fire in central London. Buses are on diversion but nothing on status to say where. Where is 159 rerouted to stop from Trafalgar Square pic.twitter.com/53x0tYHxfZ

Video from the scene shows wave of smoking rising over Trafalgar Square.

A spokesperson for the London Fire Brigade has said: "Ten fire engines and around 70 firefighters are tackling a pub fire in Trafalgar Square. Half of the basement is alight.

Station Commander Keith McDermott, who is at the scene said: “The fire is in the basement of a pub in Trafalgar Square. As a result there will be heavy traffic disruption and we ask people to avoid the area if possible. Follow @LondonFire on Twitter for latest updates.”

The Brigade was called at 5:49pm this evening. The cause of the fire is not known at this stage.

The London Fire Brigade has confirmed that half of the basement in the Admiralty Pub, Trafalgar Square is on fire.

Around 70 firefighters are tackling the blaze. Police are also on the scene assisting with road closures.

You can read the full story here.

Huge plumes of smoke can be seen filling the air.

Firefighters are tackling the blaze in the Admiralty Pub in Spring Gardens, a street the crosses the east end of the Mall by Trafalgar Square.

Around 70 firefighters are on the scene tackling the blaze in the Admiralty Pub.

There are no reported injuries so far.

The London Fire Brigade has confirmed that it is the Admiralty Pub on fire in Trafalgar Square. Around half of the basement is on fire.

Around 70 firefighters and 10 fire engines are on the scene tackling the blaze.

Members of the public have been advised to avoid the scene.

We’ve got 10 fire engines and around 70 firefighters tackling a fire in a pub in Trafalgar Square. Half of the basement is alight. Please avoid the area if possible as there will be heavy traffic disruption. pic.twitter.com/Ic8smnvm1e