ALBAWABA- A powerful fire tore through a two-storey warehouse and retail building in Southall, west London, on Tuesday morning, sending a column of thick black smoke over the city and setting off explosions from suspected fireworks and gas cylinders, authorities said.
The London Fire Brigade (LFB) declared a major incident at 8:55 a.m. and deployed 25 fire engines and around 150 firefighters to Bridge Road, a busy commercial area in Ealing.
Witnesses shared dramatic footage of flames shooting from the structure as loud bangs echoed across nearby districts. A primary school and several residential blocks were evacuated, though no injuries have been reported.
Assistant Commissioner Jonathan Smith said crews were working under “challenging conditions” due to the presence of fireworks and cylinders inside the building, which slowed efforts to bring the blaze under control. Much of the 5,000-square-foot property, believed to house a fireworks distributor, was gutted, with the fire spreading from the ground-floor retail area to upper-level storage rooms.
Road closures caused severe traffic disruption, while air-quality warnings were issued for parts of Ealing, Hounslow and Hillingdon. Early investigations suggest an electrical fault may have ignited volatile materials, though the exact cause is still being probed.
Southall, a major hub for South Asian markets and festivals, is home to several importers stocking fireworks for New Year and Diwali celebrations, raising concerns about safety standards following previous pyrotechnic-related fires in London.
Mayor Sadiq Khan praised firefighters for their “heroic response” and said support would be provided to displaced residents as crews continued damping-down operations into the evening.
