Ten fire engines and about 70 firefighters tackled a major blaze at the derelict King’s Hall Methodist Church on South Road in Southall, on Sunday night (22 February 2026).
At the height of the fire, most of the ground floor, second floor and roof were alight, the London Fire Brigade said. Two 32-metre turntable ladders were used to fight the flames from above.
Control officers took the first of more than 20 emergency calls at 9.30pm and mobilised crews from Southall, Ealing, Heston and surrounding stations. The fire was brought under control at 12.38am.
There have been no reports of any injuries.
A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: “The fire was brought under control overnight with crews deploying 32-metre turntable ladders as water towers to tackle the fire from above.
“Firefighters have remained on scene in the hours since working to fully extinguish the fire and put out hotspots. This work was completed this afternoon and the Brigade has now left the site safely in the care of partner agencies.
“The building has sustained a significant amount of damage due to the fire, 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.
“South Road, which was shut in both directions, has reopened with local businesses operating as usual.”
King’s Hall was designed by Sir Alfred Gelder and built in 1916. The three-storey red brick and stone building was run by the Uxbridge and Southall Wesleyan Mission, screening religious films before becoming a mainstream cinema. It closed as a cinema in 1937, later reverting to church use and has remained derelict since 2013.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
