A FITNESS instructor was commended for their quick action in getting people to leave a Belsize Park leisure centre as a fire spread through the sauna and steam room.

Thirty-five firefighters battled the blaze at SpringHealth in Belsize Park Gardens on Friday (July 31), which also left a shower room damaged.

Fifteen people left the building before crews from West Hampstead, Kentish Town and Soho arrived.

Smoke rising into the sky in Belsize Park on Friday

Station Manager Daniel Alie who was at the scene said: “The site management had excellent procedures in place and one of the personal trainers did an excellent job of raising the alarm and getting everyone one out quickly.

“The building was heavily smoke logged and crews did very well to stop the fire from getting any bigger and to prevent it from spreading to the roof void.”

The leisure centre will be closed today and tomorrow “for a deep clean of the building” .

The Brigade was called at 7.35am and the fire was under control just before 9am. The cause of the fire is under investigation but is believed to have started in the sauna unit.