The process will likely take two years, authorities said, with preparations beginning over the summer and work to remove parts of the building.

A woman who was forced to flee a tanning salon naked after a fire said she was ‘lucky to be alive’ and had been left traumatised by the experience.

Elaine Lanigan, 63, had been enjoying her regular sunbed session at Ania’s beauty parlour in Wood Green when thick black smoke filled her booth, leaving her choking.

Desperate to escape the smoke-filled salon, she clambered out naked, not having time to dress properly or grab her handbag.

She ran onto the busy Wood Green High Street along with staff and other customers when there was an ‘explosion’ with images on social media showing a black cloud of smoke billowing into the road as naked Ms Lanigan struggles to cover herself.

Ms Lanigan, who lives in Wood Green, told Metro: ‘I was on the sunbed and then I could smell a strange smell like chemicals or plastic burning. I took the googles you wear on the sunbed off.

‘Then thick smoke started coming in, and I was choking. I knew I had to get out fast, I ran out, but the smoke was so thick. I was running for my life.

‘I was mostly naked but had to get out, so I ran into the street. It was pandemonium.

‘As we got out, there was a whoosh and like an explosion with a black cloud coming out of the salon.

‘It was busy on the road and I was trying to cover up how best I could. I realised that flats above the salon could have people in, so I banged on their door to warn them. I had to act to try to help others.

‘It was a nightmare I could have died.’

Dramatic footage on social media showed thick, black smoke billowing from the beauty parlour as staff and customers ran for cover.

Three people, including Ms Lanigan, were treated at the scene for smoke inhalation.

She added: ‘My jewellery which has sentimental value was burned and I lost my bank cards and stuff.

‘But at least I’m alive. The emergency services were wonderful, and because I had no money or anything, the ambulance took me home.

When the fire started, I was in the booth, and no one knocked on the door to warn me.

‘I could have died there and then. I’ve been traumatised by the experience.’

Footage from the scene showed charred tanning booths and other equipment left outside the shuttered store.

The inside of the building is a burned-out shell with the melted remains of the sunbeds removed by firefighters and left on the street.

A second customer, a 42-year-old mother of two, told Metro: ‘I heard a woman screaming. Then I smelled something like burning rubber, then there was black smok,e and I was choking.

‘I got on my hands and knees and started to crawl towards the door, but I couldn’t see much. I was struggling to breath, it was like having a plastic bag over your head, it was awful, I thought I was going to die and never see my children again.

‘The electricity had gone, it was so dark. I saw a chink of light at the door, so I went for that. Elaine was outside, she helped me, and then there was an explosion and a whoosh followed by thick black smoke

‘It was my worst nightmare, I still have flashbacks, I’m struggling to get over it.’

A bus driver, who is a regular customer at the salon, heard a crackling noise from his sunbed, which was in a booth and got off to investigate before realising something was seriously wrong, the owner of the salon claimed.

Ragu Nad previously told Metro: ‘The guy is a bus driver, a regular here. He heard a noise like something in the electrics. He got off to have a look and realised it must be a fault but managed to get dressed before things got really serious.

‘Smoke started to come out, and then there was this explosion.

‘A woman who was naked had to run out like that.’

A friend of the bus driver told Metro: ‘He is okay, although he said his chest was tight, maybe from the smoke.’

Mr Nad, who has had the shop for 20 years, said the extent of the damage would force him to close for weeks. A new sunbed can cost £20,000, and the inside of the building is gutted.

He said his main concern was keeping his five staff employed and getting the salon running again.

He added: ‘The staff will have to be off for a while, but I’m dealing with the loss adjusters and insurers to try to get it sorted so they still have jobs.’

Wood Green High Road was closed near the Junction of Bounds Green Road after the blaze.

The shop remains closed.

A worker at a nearby pub told Metro: ‘It was utter carnage. There was so much smoke in the street, I was choking. It was really acrid. It was like watching the aftermath of a bomb going off. The people who came out of the building looked in shock.’

The fire brigade said: ‘Most of the ground floor salon was damaged by fire. Three people were treated on scene by London Ambulance Service crews after suffering from smoke inhalation

The fire is believed to have been accidental and caused by the failure of a cooling fan for a sunbed.’

An statement from the London Ambulance service said: ‘We sent resources to the scene, including an ambulance crew, a paramedic in a fast response car and an incident response officer.

‘Our first paramedic arrived on scene in approximately three minutes. We assessed three people and discharged them at the scene.’

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Residents have been evacuated after the homes were engulfed just before 4 pm this afternoon on Silkstream Road, Burnt Oak, Barnet.

Five people have been rescued and taken to hospital after a fire at a restaurant in east London.

One witness described a ‘chemical explosion in the basement’.

A ‘sunbed caught on fire’, a witness claimed.

It comes after several huge blazes last month.

‘It’ll be a great night for a great cause, and I can’t wait to be part of it.’

Locals are being evacuated as fire engines try to douse the out-of-control grass fire

A former chef, who now works as a firefighter, reveals what he likes to cook at the station.

A huge fire has ripped through an industrial estate in London.

Twenty-five fire engines and around 150 firefighters spent hours fighting the blaze on Maypole Crescent in Erith overnight.

A warehouse in the scrap yard was alight, as well as three diggers and numerous vehicle.

The industrial estate itself is home to around 20 businesses, including garages, repair shops and recycling centres.

Fire billowed out and clouded the London skyline well into the morning as the fire was brought under control at 6.52am on Saturday.

Local residents were told to keep their windows and doors shut despite the heatwave because of the smoke being produced.

London Fire Brigade first received news of the blaze at 10.57pm last night and sent crews to the scene.

They employed two 32-metre high ladders to survey the fire as it burnt the industrial estate to a crisp.

A fire boat was also mobilised, which uses two remote-operated water monitors to pump out 2,500 litres of water per minute.

The cause of the fire is being investigated.

It erupted as the London Fire Brigade issued a new warning about the risks of grass fires and wildfires during a heatwave.

London Fire Brigade Deputy Assistant Commissioner Jamie Jenkins said: ‘Whilst many people will be looking forward to spending time in the sunshine, we are also urging everyone to be responsible to prevent wildfires or tragedies around the water.

‘Despite the heavy rainfall earlier this week, the Natural Hazards Partnership has assessed that the risk of wildfires in London is currently severe.

‘As the weather has been so dry, it only takes a few sparks to lead to a fire spreading rapidly. In London, this is can be dangerous because so many of our green spaces lie close to homes and other properties.’

Jenkins told Londoners not to take disposable BBQs with them when going out as they are banned from many London parks, and reminded people to dispose of cigarettes responsibly.

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Around 70 firefighters are in attendance.

Emergency services were called to Lewisham Road, Ladywell, in the early hours of this morning.

The underground line is expected to be ‘severely impacted’ by the fire, which engulfed railway arches in South Harrow last night.

The underground line is expected to be ‘severely impacted’ by the fire, which engulfed railway arches in South Harrow last night.

The underground line is expected to be ‘severely impacted’ by the fire, which engulfed railway arches in South Harrow last night.

‘We were terrified it would reach our houses.’

Black smoke was billowing out of the van.

A single room flat was destroyed by the fire.

Her children, aged seven and nine, were not in the house at the time of the incident.

A cordon is currently in place on the road.

A cordon is currently in place on the road.

A cordon is currently in place on the road.

A cordon is currently in place on the road.

There are 70 firefighters at the scene.