Nursing assistant who was forced to give up work and start fresh after being diagnosed with a blood disorder loses everything in fire

Published: 20:29, 9 July 2026 | Updated: 20:42, 9 July 2026 When Najma Muhammad's eyes locked onto the drone footage showing an inferno tearing through the warehouse that housed her business, she collapsed to the floor. The 31–year–old entrepreneur could only watch in horror as flames consumed the west London warehouse where she had spent years building her e–commerce hair care brand from the ground up. Inside were years of work, specialist equipment, product formulations, official documents and between £40,000 and £50,000 worth of brand–new stock awaiting a major relaunch. Within hours, everything she owned for the business had been reduced to ashes. Najma told the Daily Mail: 'I literally fell to my knees, screaming and crying. I sat there for hours watching videos of the business I spent years building burn to the ground.' The footage showed the aftermath of the huge blaze that ripped through a warehouse complex on Oxgate Lane in Brent, north–west London, where around 150 firefighters battled for hours to bring the inferno under control and nearby residents were evacuated. For Najma, however, it was far more than a warehouse fire. It marked the destruction of the business she had painstakingly built after leaving a career as a nursing assistant on Harley Street because of the effects of thalassemia, a chronic inherited blood disorder that caused severe hair loss, insomnia and heart palpitations. Debris litters the warehouse site where Najma Muhammad lost years of work in the catastrophic fire Najma says everything she built over two years was reduced to ashes in the warehouse fire She said: 'I normally work at the warehouse at night because it's quieter but that evening my uncle had passed away, so I wasn't there. 'I actually drove past the warehouse on my way to see family and had absolutely no idea it was burning down.' The following morning, her landlord, Artistic Spaces, called to carry out a welfare check. She added: 'I asked whether my unit was okay and they told me it had taken 155 firefighters to tackle the blaze. As soon as I heard that number, I knew it was catastrophic.' Searching TikTok for updates, Najma soon found drone footage showing the destruction. 'When I saw the videos, I knew there was nothing left. It was just absolute devastation.' Her warehouse had housed every aspect of her business. 'It was two years of memories and milestones turned into ashes,' she said. 'Everything from the first desk I ever saved up £250 to buy was there. We had office equipment, all our documentation, a filming area and even a lab where we formulated products.' Najma estimates that between £40,000 and £50,000 worth of brand–new stock was destroyed just before the launch of an entirely new product range. She mentioned: 'We were preparing to launch a completely new line this summer. All of that stock was sitting there ready to go. I never even got the chance to launch it.' The loss is especially painful given the journey that led her to create the business. Before becoming a full–time entrepreneur in 2024, Najma worked as a nursing assistant on Harley Street caring for diplomatic patients. But her thalassemia eventually made the physically demanding role impossible. Firefighters at the site of the fire as scorched debris remain after fire tore through the warehouse complex in north-west London Burned debris covers the warehouse site where around 100 businesses lost everything in the devastating blaze She explained: 'It causes severe insomnia, heart palpitations and severe hair loss. The 12–hour shifts became too much physically. 'I used to hide behind heavy makeup and wigs because I didn't feel like myself.' She began documenting both her condition and her hair recovery online, eventually developing products inspired by her own experience. She outlined: 'When I started talking about thalassemia and hair care, it went viral. 'People connected with the story because it wasn't just about hair. It was about confidence, self–love and living with a hidden illness.' That online community has now become her biggest source of strength. After she shared news of the fire on TikTok, customers flooded her comments with messages of support and practical ideas to help her rebuild. She said: 'Being a business owner is normally very lonely because you're the person who fixes everything. 'This was the first situation where I thought, 'I can't fix this.'' Supporters suggested opening pre–orders to generate cash flow, offered space at pop–up markets and even proposed setting up fundraising campaigns. Her suppliers also stepped in after years of building strong relationships. She mentioned: 'I've always paid my suppliers outright. They've offered ways to help me get back on my feet. 'If it wasn't for the public's support, I don't think I would have had the strength to continue.' More than a week after the fire, many tenants are still unable to enter the site while investigations continue. Najma said: 'The building has been declared unsafe. Everything regarding insurance and leases is basically frozen until investigators can get in.' The warehouse complex housed around 250 tenants across three buildings, with many businesses suffering devastating losses. She said: 'At least 100 businesses have lost absolutely everything. Not a box or a piece of paper remains.' Since the blaze, tenants have formed a large online support group where they share updates and offer emotional support. She stated: 'It's hard for friends and family to understand what it feels like to lose your entire livelihood overnight. 'Knowing we're not facing it alone has helped so much.' Despite everything, Najma remains determined to rebuild. She said: 'Everything physical is gone, but the community isn't gone. 'The people who supported me before the fire are still here. That's what's giving me hope.' London Fire Brigade told the Daily Mail: 'Twenty-five fire engines and around 150 firefighters responded to a fire on Oxgate Lane, Brent. 'The fire involved a multi-use warehouse building consisting of two floors. At the fires height, the majority of the structure and its roof was alight. Around 70 people from a neighbouring residential block were evacuated as a precaution whilst firefighting operations were carried out. There are no reports of any injuries. 'Residents in the local area had been advised to keep doors and windows closed where possible. This was due to the significant amount of smoke being produced by the fire. 'Four of the Brigade's turntable ladders deployed to the scene as part of the response, tackling the fire from height. A High Volume Pump and a Hose Layer were used by crews to increase the amount of water available to fight the fire. 'The Brigade received the first of over 85 calls reporting the fire at 2114 (11 June). Control Officers mobilised crews from Hendon, Willesden, West Hampstead and surrounding fire stations to the scene. Firefighters were able to contain and bring the fire under control by 0502 (12 June). 'The cause of the fire has been recorded as undetermined.'