Huge blaze engulfs London church as 70 firefighters rush to tackle raging inferno

The London Fire Brigade dispatched 10 fire engines and roughly 70 firefighters to South Road, with crews racing to the scene from stations in Southall, Ealing, Heston and the surrounding area.

At the fire's peak, flames had consumed the majority of the ground floor, second floor and roof of the building.

The London Fire Brigade deployed two of its 32-metre turntable ladders to tackle the inferno from elevated positions, allowing crews to direct water onto the burning structure from above.

People were urged to stay away from the area while firefighters worked to bring the situation under control, with South Road shut in both directions between Park Road and High Street.

Nearby residents were also advised to close their windows and doors as smoke continued to billow across the neighbourhood.

The cause of the fire is not known and is currently being investigated.

At 11:23, the brigade posted on X that its crews were "working hard" to tackle the fire.

Firefighters managed to bring the blaze under control by 12.30am, roughly three hours after the first emergency calls were received.

However, crews were expected to remain on site throughout Monday morning to ensure the fire was completely extinguished.

Road closures along South Road between Park Road and High Street were set to continue while emergency services worked at the scene.

Once the site is deemed safe, fire investigators will begin examining the building to determine how the blaze started.

Addressing the situation, local councillor John Martin of Norwood Green Ward said: “The fire on South Road Southall, is under control.

"London Fire crews will remain on the scene to fully extinguish the fire and investigate the cause.

"South Road remains closed in both directions; therefore, some bus routes will be on diversion or terminated early - please continue to avoid the area.”

Posting on X, the service also confirmed at 12:44 that: “The fire on South Road in Southall is now under control.

“Crews will remain on scene into the early morning to fully extinguish the fire.

“South Road remains closed in both directions - please continue to avoid the area.

“The cause of the fire is under investigation.”

Located in Southall, Middlesex, in west London, the King’s Hall was constructed in 1916 to designs by Sir Alfred Gelder of Hull.

The large three-storey building features a red brick and stone façade.

Originally operated by the Uxbridge and Southall Wesleyan Mission, it initially screened religious films before evolving into a full-time cinema by 1926, while remaining under Methodist management.

The King’s Hall Cinema closed in 1937, and the premises subsequently returned to religious use as the King’s Hall Methodist Church.

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