Soho Fire Station

Command District:  Northern
Borough: Westminster
Station Callsign: A24
Opened: 1984
Address:  128 – 132 Shaftesbury Avenue, W1D 5ET

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Allocation

2 x Mercedes Benz Atego 1327 Dual Pump Ladder (DPL)
1 x  x Scania L360/Magirus M32L-AS Turntable Ladder (TL)

Notes

The original Soho fire station on this site was actually constructed on an adjacent plot and was opened by the Metropolitan Fire Brigade before being taken over by the London Salvage Corps.

In 1904, the Metropolitan Fire Brigade became the London Fire Brigade and in 1921 they purchased the station from the London Salvage Corps, renaming it from Shaftesbury Avenue to Soho.

On the evening of October 7, 1940, the station took a direct hit during a Luftwaffe air raid, killing Station Officer William Wilson and Auxiliary Fireman Frederick Mitchell as well as two passers-by.

The station suffered significant damage and all that remained was the appliance bays, due to the operational significance of the site, a temporary brick structure was constructed above these to contain offices and sleeping quarters in 1942.

The ‘temporary’ nature of the replacement fire station saw it last until it was finally closed in 1982, with the building being virtually condemned and declared unfit for purpose.

The station was demolished, the site cleared and a new station was built on the adjacent plot, opening in 1983. This is the current A24 Soho Fire Station, still in use today and still the busiest in London.