Fireball lights up sky over London

A massive fireball lit up the sky over west London on Sunday evening, January 11, after a fierce blaze broke out at a recycling centre on Johnson Street in Southall. The dramatic incident sent thick plumes of smoke billowing across the area, triggering widespread travel chaos, particularly on rail services linking central London to Heathrow Airport.

The London Fire Brigade was alerted to the fire at approximately 5.33pm, with emergency crews from Southall, Hayes, Feltham, and neighbouring stations rapidly mobilised. Eight fire engines and around 60 firefighters were deployed to tackle the blaze, which involved approximately 15 tonnes of mixed recycled waste. Social media footage captured by residents showed an enormous fireball exploding upward behind rows of houses, with towering flames and dense black smoke visible from miles away, creating an eerie spectacle against the evening sky.

Train line to Heathrow shutdown due to intensity of fire

The intense fire produced heavy smoke that drifted toward nearby railway lines, prompting precautionary safety measures. The Great Western Main Line was partially closed, and the Heathrow Express service was temporarily suspended, leading to major disruptions for passengers travelling between London Paddington, Heathrow Terminals, and Reading. National Rail warned of major delays and cancellations expected to continue into the late evening, with some services resuming around 9pm but still facing delays of up to 15 minutes. Commuters and travellers heading to or from the UK’s busiest airport were left scrambling for alternative transport options or missed their flights, exacerbating peak-hour congestion.

Firefighters managed to bring the blaze under control by 8.35pm, after roughly three hours of intense efforts. No injuries were reported, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Second major fire in Southall

This latest incident comes just months after another major fire struck Southall. On November 24, around 150 firefighters battled a large warehouse blaze on Bridge Road, roughly a 23-minute walk from Johnson Street, where fireworks and gas cylinders were suspected to be stored. That earlier fire led to evacuations, explosions, and a prolonged operation lasting over 10 hours, with parts of the building collapsing.

Local residents expressed concern on social media about the recurrence of such large-scale fires in the area, with some questioning safety protocols at industrial and waste management sites. Authorities have yet to comment on any potential links between the two incidents, but the proximity has heightened calls for greater oversight.

As cleanup operations continue at the Johnson Street site, investigators are working to determine what sparked the blaze involving the recycled materials. In the meantime, transport operators have advised passengers to check services before travelling.