Hackney tower block hit by flooding days after fire breaks out

A fire broke out at Fellows Court eleven days prior to the flooding. Credit: LDRS

Hackney residents have called for their entire council block to be evacuated after being hit by both flooding and a fire in a fortnight.

The London Fire Brigade (LFB) rushed to Fellows Court in South Hackney on Sunday (March 8) after a torrent of water gushed from a burst mains pipe through several floors of the building, leaving four properties drenched and uninhabitable.

Hackney Council has moved the occupants of the swamped households into temporary accommodation, but many residents have been left without central heating as a result of the incident. Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), a group representing tenants and residents said they were “living in fear” after “multiple failures”.

The emergency marked the second time firefighters had been called to the estate block in ten days. Residents were evacuated for several hours on Friday, February 27, when an explosion consumed a split-level maisonette on the 11th floor. One girl suffered minor burns and the LFB is investigating the cause of the blaze.

Fellow Residents Action Group (FRAG), who have repeatedly put pressure on the council over the block’s conditions, said: “This is now a serious incident. We’re concerned about the safety of those of all ages and disabilities. It’s time everybody is evacuated from the property”.

A FRAG spokesperson told the LDRS: “With no heating, some of these flats are not going to dry out. They’re just going to induce mould and dampness again.” They added that council contractors had recently spent “three months” carrying out pipework in the building.

Fellows Court has received extensive coverage over repairs and maintenance problems, which range from leaks and flooding to mould and faulty boilers. In July 2025, renters union ACORN slammed the building’s “inhumane” conditions as it marched on the Town Hall after an entire block lost hot water.

After the 27 February fire, the LDRS reported the block’s fire alarm system was faulty in the days leading up to the blaze. The council at the time said this would not have stopped the fire alarm sounding when the explosion happened.

The council said it had repaired the cause of Sunday’s leaks and that staff remained on-site to dry out the flats hit by water damage, reinstate electrics, and handle any other necessary repairs. The local authority told the LDRS a heating contractor was at the block on Tuesday (10 March) to carry out any necessary works, after which the council expects it can start to reinstate heating.

A Hackney Council spokesperson said: “We know that this incident and the recent fire in a maisonette in Fellows Court are upsetting for residents and that there are long-standing issues with the central heating in the building that are also causing worry and frustration.

“We are committed to finding a long-term solution to resolve the issues with the central heating system”.

The council did not respond to questions put to it by the LDRS about why the leak had occurred despite recent works to the building’s piping.