Eight people evacuated as fire rips through 800-year-old market place in London in early hours
Fire spread through a historic market place in London in the early hours of the morning.
The blaze erupted in Kingston-upon-Thames town centre around 4.30am on Tuesday.
Four fire engines and around 25 firefighters raced to the scene, as officers evacuated eight people.
A range of stalls in the Market Place were destroyed by the fire which lasted at least an hour-and-a-half.
Photos circulating on social media show a large blaze ripping through the stalls, sending flames and thick smoke into the air.
The historic buildings can be seen illuminated with a warm orange glow, with shopfronts and stalls left destroyed.
There were no reports of any injuries.
Leader of Kingston Council Andreas Kirsch expressed his sympathy with all those affected by the fire.
“I am shocked and saddened by the serious fire that has affected Kingston’s market place,” he said.
“The Ancient Market sits at the heart of the community and my thoughts are with the traders, business owners and residents who have been impacted by this incident. I want to reassure you that the council is working with partners to support all those affected.
“We are working with the London Fire Brigade and the Met Police to support their enquiries, ensure the immediate safety of the area, and prioritise the recovery of our much-loved market.”
Members of All Saints Church in Kingston, which is adjacent to Kingston Market Place, thanked the efforts of local firefighters who prevented the tragedy from becoming an “even greater disaster”.
“We are shocked and saddened by the news of the fire in the marketplace overnight,” they said.
“We are deeply thankful for the tireless, brave efforts of our local firefighters and police officers, whose hard work kept the flames from fully taking hold of surrounding buildings, preventing an even greater disaster.”
“We pray for safety over everyone involved, and for peace and provision for all those whose homes and businesses have been impacted.”
“The fire was extinguished by 0608.
“The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Brigade and the Metropolitan Police Service.”
A Scotland Yard spokeswoman said: “Police were called by the London Ambulance Service (LAS) at 04:49hrs on Tuesday, 6 October to reports of a fire in Market Place, Kingston.
“Officers attended alongside colleagues from the London Fire Brigade and LAS.
“No injuries have been reported.”
A cordon was put in place while police officers and firefighters tried to establish the cause of the fire.
A market has been located in Kingston for centuries, with the oldest surviving records dating back to the early 1200s.
The Ancient Market is home to more than 20 permanent stalls and trades seven days a week, from 10am to 5pm.
It includes a fishmongers, greengrocers, florist, an artisan bakery and a number of food stalls.
A Kingston Council spokesperson said: “London Fire Brigade attended a fire at Kingston Market Place in the early hours of Tuesday 6 October.
“There were no injuries but the fire damaged several market stalls and businesses.”
He added: “Due to the incident, the Market Place is currently cordoned off.
“Businesses within the closed-off area will not be trading until further notice while a London Fire Brigade and Met Police investigation is underway.”
The Between The Bridges market operator was appointed by Kingston Council to run Kingston Ancient Market from 1 April 2025.
It has experience operating the Southbank ‘Between The Bridges’ market, Clapham’s Venn Street Market and Winterville.
On taking over the running of the Kingston market, it stressed that it wanted to transform it into a vibrant, distinctive venue that fosters a strong sense of community.
It proposed installing new market stalls, refurbishment of the Market House for a new restaurant/cafe, relocating a statue, more external seating, better waste storage facilities and improved toilets.