Fireboats Collection

LFDCA-LFB Lambeth HQ and Lambeth river station
A modernised Lambeth river fire station and the new fireboat London Phoenix, seen here from the north bank of the River Thames

LCC-LFB fireboat Massey Shaw, Westminster, London
A publicity photograph of the Massey Shaw fireboat with the Houses of Parliament in the background, used by the London County Council to promote the London Fire Brigade in its publications

GLC-LFB Fire boat - Fire Hawk
Entering service in February 1976, the Fire Hawk was built by Watercraft of Shoreham at a cost of £ 60, 000. Measuring 45 feet in length, 13.5 inch beam and with a 3.5 foot draft

LCC-LFB Massey Shaw fireboat at Blackfriars
The Massey Shaw was built in 1935 by the J Samuel White company at Cowes, Isle of Wight. She was built to a London County Council design, and cost around £ 18, 000 to build

LFB at 25 pump fire, warehouse in Fulham
LFB firefighters in action at a fire in Fulham, where 100 tons of paraffin wax ignited in a riverside warehouse. The major blaze required 25 pumps

Fireboat Massey Shaw with eight hoses pumping

Fireboat tackling fire at Colonial Wharf, East London
A fireboat tackles a fire at Colonial Wharf, Wapping High Street, East London, 27 September 1935. This was a typical big Thamesside fire of the sort which the London Fire Brigade has tackled for over

NFS (London Region) narrow boat fitted with fire pumps
There were 18 river fire stations along the length of the River Thames during WW2. They were used to accommodate the crews on a 24 hour standby to operate the fireboats

Fireboat Fire-Dart, River Thames
Fireboat Fire-Dart on the River Thames

London Fire Brigade fireboat Massey Shaw underway
The Massey Shaw fireboat nearing her berth at Blackfriars on the Victoria Embankment, London

Massey Shaw fireboat demonstrates pumping
Moored at its Blackfriars river station on the Victoria Embankment, the newly commissioned Massey Shaw fireboat demonstrates its massive pumping capacity by discharging a vast amount of water

LFB fireboat Delta II on the River Thames, London. Date: circa 1920s

London Fire Brigade fireboat Massey Shaw underway
The Massey Shaw fireboat nearing her berth at Blackfriars on the Victoria Embankment, London. Date: 1938

London Fire Brigade firemen on a fireboat, River Thames
London Fire Brigade firemen operating a hosepipe on a fireboat on the River Thames, with St Pauls Cathedral in the background. Date: circa 1940s

Scene of whale rescue attempt, River Thames, in which a Northern Bottlenose Whale was lost

LCC-LFB Ship fire on SS Leopard, Port of London
A fire crew, rigged in Proto one-hour oxygen breathing apparatus sets, descend into the smoking hold of the SS Leopard. The fire had broken out deep inside the vessels hold

LCC-LFB Massey Shaw fireboat, Blackfriars, London
Tied up at her Blackfriars moorings, the Massey Shaw fireboat gives a demonstration of her fire power from her Merryweather pumps

LCC-LFB fireboat Gamma II on River Thames
Fireboat Gamma II and crew, mid-stream on the River Thames in central London

LCC-LFB fireboat Gamma II with monitor in use at drill
The counter-weighted monitor of a London Fire Brigade fireboat in use whilst the fireboat is moored near Hungerford Bridge on the River Thames

LFB fireboat Beta II at Cherry Garden Pier
LCC-LFB fireboat Beta II (the sister craft to fireboat Beta) moored off its fire station at Cherry Garden Pier, Rotherhithe, SE London

Fireboat Massey Shaw returning after Dunkirk, WW2
Crowds on the Albert Embankment greeting the returning London Fire Brigade fireboat Massey Shaw after it took part in the Dunkirk evacuation of Allied forces

LCC-LFB fireboats using monitors on the Thames, WW2
Auxiliary and regular firefighters getting monitors and jets of water to work from fireboats and a Thames barge near Westminster Bridge, adjacent to the Houses of Parliament

MFB fire float and tug with river firemen
A Metropolitan Fire Brigade fire float and tug with river firemen. These composite craft were introduced in 1877 by Captain Eyre Massey Shaw, Chief Fire Officer of the MFB

New Yorker fireboat at Battery landing, New York City, USA. Date: circa 1905

Blitz in London -- oil tank fire, Thames Haven, WW2
Blitz in London -- oil tank fire, Thames Haven, near Thurrock, Essex, 8 September 1940. Two fire floats of the Essex Fire Brigade moored alongside a jetty

LFB Fireboat attending a fire at Colonial Wharf
A fireboat tackles a fire at Colonial Wharf. A typical big Thameside fire of the sort which the London fire Brigade had tackled over 100 years: Colonial Wharf, Wapping High Street, E1

Fireboat Massey Shaw with eight hoses pumping. Date: 1935

London Fire Brigade fireboats on the Thames
London Fire Brigade fireboats on the River Thames

Fireboat 44 in action, Boston, Mass, Fireboats, Waterfronts, Rowboats, United States, Massachusetts, Boston, 1906

LFB Fireboat attending a fire at Colonial Wharf
A fireboat tackles a fire at Colonial Wharf. A typical big Thameside fire of the sort which the London fire Brigade had tackled over 100 years: Colonial Wharf, Wapping High Street, E1

Lambeth Fireboat Station

Exercise Tideway at the Thames Barrier, Woolwich, SE London

Fireboat attending a fire in Battersea
A fireboat attending a fire in Battersea, SW London

LCC-LFB Fireboat Alpha, River Thames
From 1912 the previously used rafts, towed by tugs, were replaced by Londons first fireboats. These steam driven self-propelled shallow draught craft were based on the Royal Navy gunboats

Pontoon and fireboat return

LCC-LFB First fireboats in the London Fire Brigade
A fire float and tug were first introduced in 1877 and used until 1900 when they were replaced by shallow draft fireboats

LCC-MFB Fire float and tug at drills
Prior to the MFB acquiring its first purpose made fireboat, a tug would tow a fire float (containing a steam fire pump) to the scene of riverside blazes and fires on ships on the Thames

London Fire Brigade fireboat on the River Thames
A London Fire Brigade fireboat on the River Thames

LCC-LFB Massey Shaw fireboat, Greenwich, SE London
The Massey Shaw fireboat was built in 1935 on the Isle of Wight, and fitted out with powerful Merryweather pumps in Greenwich, SE London

LCC-LFB fireboat fleet at Lambeth HQ, London
As part of the formal opening of the London Fire Brigade headquarters building on the Albert Embankment, Londons fireboats Massey Shaw

LCC-LFB fireboat Beta III, midstream on River Thames
A side view of the London Fire Brigades fireboat Beta III, stationary and midstream, downstream of Tower Bridge with Wapping wharves in the background

Example of an United States (USA) fireboat
A typical port and harbour fireboat deployed by large United States of America city fire departments. Seen here is the LA City No 2, owned by the Los Angeles City fire department, California

MFB fire float and tug on the River Thames
A Metropolitan Fire Brigade fire float and tug on the River Thames. These composite craft were introduced in 1877 and used until 1900 when they were replaced by fireboats

Drawing of MFB fire float and tug on the River Thames
A drawing of a Metropolitan Fire Brigade fire float and tug heading to a riverside blaze in the distance. The fire float was a fire pump mounted in a barge that could supply water to the land via

LFB fireboat Alpha II and crew on River Thames
The Alpha II fireboat was a self-propelled steam driven fireboat brought into service by the London County Councils London Fire Brigade

LCC-LFB fireboat Beta at Cherry Garden Pier
Fireboat Beta alongside Cherry Garden Pier, Rotherhithe, in the Port of London, downstream from Tower Bridge. The twin funnelled Beta had a large capacity firefighting fitted monitor near its prow

MBW-MFB fire float and tug at drill on River Thames
These fire floats and tugs were composite craft introduced in about 1877. They were replaced by fireboats from 1900

LCC-LFB fireboat Massey Shaw in action
The Massey Shaw fireboat at its first major riverside warehouse fire on the River Thames. The Colonial Wharf fire in Wapping High Street E1 occurred on 27 September 1935

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Fireboats have been an integral part of the London Fire Brigade's fleet for decades, serving as powerful allies in the battle against raging infernos. One such fireboat, the LCC-LFB Massey Shaw, has become synonymous with bravery and resilience on the waters of Westminster, London. With its distinctive red hull and towering water cannons, it stands tall as a symbol of unwavering dedication to public safety. Another notable vessel is the GLC-LFB Fire Hawk, a formidable force that has navigated through treacherous currents to combat fires along the River Thames. Its presence at Blackfriars is etched into memory - a testament to its ability to swiftly respond when seconds count. In moments of crisis, these fireboats prove their worth time and again. During a 25-pump fire that engulfed a warehouse in Fulham, an LFB crew aboard one such vessel valiantly fought back flames from both land and water. The sight of eight hoses pumping simultaneously from the Massey Shaw was awe-inspiring; each jet stream representing hope amidst chaos. No location along the river is too remote for these brave firefighters. Colonial Wharf in East London witnessed their relentless efforts firsthand as they tackled yet another ferocious blaze head-on. Their courage knows no bounds as they maneuver through narrow canals aboard NFS (London Region) narrow boats fitted with specialized firefighting equipment. The Lambeth HQ and Lambeth river station serve as vital hubs for these heroes who call themselves members of LFDCA-LFB. From here, they embark on daring missions aboard vessels like Fire-Dart - swift and agile enough to navigate even the busiest stretches of Thames without hesitation. Whether underway or demonstrating their impressive pumping capabilities during training exercises, fireboats like Massey Shaw continue to inspire confidence within communities across London, and are not just vessels but symbols of hope that remind us all that even amidst adversity, there will always be those who stand ready to protect and serve.