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on the Great West Road near Boston Manor Road. Fireman
stood on drums at a factory next door to fight the fire
over the wall. They didn't find out until later that the
drums contained white spirit.
One afternoon a shop in a narrow street opposite the Gas
Works caught fire. The heat and fumes brought the wallpaper
and paint off the walls. Firemen used breathing apparatus
to search for a man thought to be upstairs, but no one was found.
About 1956 a barge at the bottom of Ferry Lane caught fire.
It had a cargo of 18-inch squares of crude rubber and filling
the barge with foam could only put out the fire. There was
no river fire service then, if boats caught fire when moored
nearby, owners never left oars in them. Maybe oars should have
been standard equipment on fire engines in riverside districts?
Good fire services were important for Brentford as so many of
its businesses and industries used inflammable materials such
as paper. Wood, oil, paint and volatile solvents and there have
been some spectacular fires. On a March evening in 1950 Brent
Paint Manufacturing Co, by the canal near Durham Wharf, went
up in flames. Oil drums were exploding and flying up to 50 feet
through the air. The heroes of the hour were not only Brentford
firemen but also Rev A A Court Vicar of St Lawrence's an unnamed
sailor who helped rescue people and pets, and Jock the dog who
alerted his elderly owner at Percy Cottages. A family in the
High St was rescued from being bombarded by flying oil drums.
When the alarm was raised the firemen were laughing over a serious
radio programme about fire fighting but within minutes they were
fighting a significant fire, watched by a large crowd. Appliances
were sent from several other stations and the Chief Fire Officer
of Middlesex commanded the operation.
In January 1953 there was a big fire at Elizabeth Shaw Ltd at Mint
House in Commerce Rd Three firemen were slightly injured. In the
summer of 1953 there were fires at the Firestone Tyre & Rubber
Company on the Great west rd and at Ealing Film Studios
In April 1954 a fire at Brentford Soap Company in Catherine Wheel
Yard caused serious damage to the building and contents. In November
1954 ponies were led out of blazing stables in Lionel Rd, but sadly
two others were beyond help when the Brigade arrived.
In April 1961 a fire at the tannery of H Band & Co. in Brent Way
caused several thousand pounds worth of damage to the building and
parchment skins inside. The fire started in the boiler-house early
on Good Friday and the Company in salvage operations spent the Easter
holiday. A week later there was a big blaze at a motor workshop near
Performance Cars at the corner of the Great West Rd and Windmill Rd.
It took two hours to bring it under control and one fireman suffered
slight burns.
In December 1867 the George and Dragon near Brentford Bridge caught
fire and was burnt to the ground. The ancient hand pumps sent to fight
the blaze proved utterly inadequate, they were probably too small, too
few, lacking in power and suffering from neglect. Fortunately there was
no injury or loss of life. This was one of the few Brentford fires to
have left a record before 1874.
HISTORY OF BRENTFORD FIRE STATION
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