Rush to Contain Massive Fire at King's Hall Methodist Church as 70 Firefighters Battle Blaze in Southall
A swift emergency rush unfolded when a massive fire erupted at King’s Hall Methodist Church in Southall on Sunday evening, ripping through large parts of the building. Around 70 firefighters and ten fire engines attended the scene as the blaze continued well into the night, drawing sustained efforts to bring the fire under control.
Rush to tackle Southall blaze
Emergency crews responded in force: around 70 firefighters were on scene and ten fire engines rushed to tackle the blaze. The initial rush of personnel and equipment focused on stopping the spread as the fire tore through multiple floors of the derelict church.
Scale of the damage at King's Hall Methodist Church
Part of the church’s ground floor, second floor and roof were damaged during the blaze. The building sustained a significant amount of damage that resulted in the collapse of the roof and the upper floors. Following an assessment by the local authority, the derelict church building has been declared structurally unsafe, though there is no risk to surrounding properties.
Timeline: engines, ladders and overnight work
The fire continued well into the night before it was brought under control by Monday morning, the London Fire Brigade (LFB) said. Crews deployed 32-metre turntable ladders as water towers to tackle the fire from above. Firefighters remained on scene in the hours after containment, working to fully extinguish the fire and put out hotspots; that work was completed in the afternoon and the Brigade subsequently left the site in the care of partner agencies.
Safety, road closures and local impact
Emergency workers remained on site after the fire was contained. South Road, which had been shut in both directions, has since reopened and local businesses are operating as usual. The derelict status and structural assessment of the church means longer-term safety and recovery work will be required; the local authority declared the building structurally unsafe.
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The Southall church blaze remains a major local incident: the immediate rush of crews limited risk to neighbouring properties, but the scale of structural damage means recovery and safety work will continue. Emergency responders have moved from active firefighting to stabilization and handover to partner agencies, and local services have resumed on nearby roads.
