London firefighters are battling a fierce fire at Koko, the iconic music venue located in Camden.

“We were called at 8.56 to a fire at a Camden nightclub under refurbishment. Thirty per cent of the roof is alight. Firefighters are working hard to save the rest of the building. Please avoid the area if possible,” a spokesman for London Fire Brigade said in a statement.

“Firefighters are working hard to save the rest of the building. Please avoid the area if possible.”

The venue, which recently closed its doors temporarily to undergo a major state-of-the-art transformation, was scheduled to reopen in spring 2020 but now has more than 60 firefighters attempting to put out the flames.

Oliver Cooper, a local councillor to the area, took to social media to say: “There’s a fire at legendary music venue Koko in Camden Town, with smoke billowing out from inside. Three fire engines and dozens of firefighters currently on site.”

He added: “The fire at Koko in Camden Town is under control and now being pushed back. Hugely grateful to @LondonFire for their swift response, but devastated by the potential loss of such a huge part of Camden’s culture.”

Kentish Town ward councillor Georgia Gould wrote: “Heartbreaking watching the Camden Palace / Koko up in flames this evening, a building that holds so many memories and means so much to us in Camden.”

Early reports suggest that the firefighters have been able to control the blaze. Footage of the incident can be seen below.

Firefighters desperately attempt to extinguish the blaze that is currently ripping through London music venue #Koko: pic.twitter.com/p30aMkBW6z — Far Out Magazine (@FarOutMag) January 6, 2020