The Most Dangerous Buildings in Britain — London's Dockland Fires

London Fire Brigade. Rubber. Spirits. Timber. Warehouses that could burn for days — and a fireboat on the Thames. London's dockland warehouses held some of the most flammable materials in Britain. Rubber burned with intense black smoke. Spirits warehouses held alcohol vapors that could travel along floors and ignite from a distant spark. And when street mains couldn't deliver enough pressure, the brigade's fireboats drew directly from the Thames. This episode documents how London Fire Brigade and the Thames River Emergency Service responded to dock warehouse fires along the Surrey Docks, West India Docks, and Southwark waterfront — the fireboat approach, the turntable ladder against warehouse walls, and the cargoes that determined how dangerous the night would become. 🔔 Subscribe — British Old Fire Brigades. Real history. Real crews.