--Posted by Stacy-Marie Ishmael on Jul 10 18:49.
No, really.
A major fire has been blazing along Dean Street, central London, for most of Friday afternoon, forcing evacuations and causing Oxford Street to be closed to traffic in both directions.
As Sky News reported:
Black smoke billowed from a four-storey office building in Dean Street, Soho, after a fire started in the basement. Around 50 people were evacuated from the building, which is home to finance company Future Capital Partners.
Future Capital Partners is a $6bn structured finance boutique firm, we have been reliably informed by the FT’s hedge fund correspondent Sam Jones.
At the time of publishing, the fire had been brought under control. The same cannot be said for the upheaval in the structured finance industry.
UPDATE: Monday July 13
The firm has the following statement (emphasis FT Alphaville’s):
Future Capital Partners, the structured finance firm that has completed transactions in excess of £6 billion, had its Soho premises severely damaged by a major fire on Friday 10th July.
Future is pleased to report that none of its 40 staff was injured, and that is has suffered minimal disruption to its business.
Due to the firm’s electronic data systems, back up and security policies, there has been no significant loss of material files and records, and the business continues to be fully operational.
As of today, the firm and its staff have relocated to 271 Regent Street, London W1 and the main switchboard number is 020300805211
Future Capital Partners has executed over 500 asset finance transactions since 1999 and its current product offerings, include a Real Estate Development in Montenegro, the production services in relation to the blockbuster movie Iron Man, the construction of a wheat-to-bioethanol plant - and Aramid 1, which provides ongoing debt finance to the entertainment industry