Rush of 70 Firefighters Contain Massive Blaze at King’s Hall Methodist Church in Southall
A massive fire erupted at King’s Hall Methodist Church in Southall on Sunday evening, prompting a rush of around 70 firefighters and ten fire engines to tackle a blaze that continued well into the night. The fire was under control as of Monday morning, the London Fire Brigade (LFB) said, though emergency workers remained on the scene while teams worked to fully extinguish hotspots.
Rush of crews and immediate response
Around 70 firefighters attended the scene at King’s Hall Methodist Church, using ten fire engines in the initial response. Crews deployed 32-metre turntable ladders used as water towers to tackle the fire from above, working through the night as the blaze ripped through large parts of the building.
Extent of damage at King’s Hall Methodist Church
Part of the church’s ground floor, second floor and roof were damaged in the blaze. The building sustained a significant amount of damage, resulting 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 but there is no risk to surrounding properties.
Timeline from Sunday evening to Monday afternoon
The fire erupted on Sunday evening and continued well into the night. The fire was brought under control overnight, with firefighters remaining on scene in the hours after to fully extinguish the fire and put out hotspots. A second rush of activity took place overnight and into Monday as crews completed that work; the work was completed this afternoon and the Brigade has now left the site safely in the care of partner agencies.
South Road, which had been shut in both directions, has reopened with local businesses operating as usual.
Firefighting tactics and scene management
Fire crews used elevated water towers from turntable ladders to tackle the flames from above. After the main firefighting effort, teams focused on extinguishing hotspots and conducting a handover: emergency personnel remained on site during this phase before leaving the scene in the care of partner agencies once the extinguishing work was completed.
Other national notes mentioned alongside coverage
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The immediate picture at King’s Hall Methodist Church is one of significant structural damage to a derelict building and a large-scale emergency response that was successfully brought under control. Further work and assessments will determine next steps for the site and any follow-up actions by local agencies.
