70 firefighters battle major Southall church blaze

Ten fire engines and approximately 70 firefighters were called to South Road last night as a major fire tore through a derelict church. While the blaze was brought under control in the early hours, crews remain on-site this morning and significant road closures are causing travel disruption across Southall.

Firefighters were called to the scene at 21:30, with crews from Southall, Ealing, Heston, and surrounding fire stations attending. At the height of the fire, most of the ground floor, second floor, and roof of the church were alight.


Two of the Brigade’s 32-metre turntable ladders were deployed to the scene to help fight the fire from above. The blaze was successfully brought under control by 00:38.

South Road remains closed in both directions between Park Road and High Street. The Brigade continues to advise the public to avoid the area while crews work to fully extinguish the site.

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

This update was published by the London Fire Brigade on 23/02/2026 and can be viewed at https://www.london-fire.gov.uk/incidents/2026/february/fire-at-a-church-southall/