Hainault fire station opens to the public on Saturday 12 September, 11am to 4pm, with a fire engine to see, safety advice, a bouncy castle and face painting.

Hainault Fire Station opens its doors to the public on Saturday 12 September 2026, 11am to 4pm, at 368 to 388 New North Road, Hainault, IG6 3DY.

London Fire Brigade wrote to Ilford Today on Wednesday morning to ask us to tell readers about it. Joe Shaw-Bretagne, writing from the brigade, said the station would “love to welcome local residents and families”.

It is the only fire station open day the brigade lists in north east London this month. Its events and open days page carries one north east entry for September, and this is it. The four other station open days on that page are grouped under south east, south west and north west London: Woodside, Battersea, West Norwood and Hillingdon.

The practical details for the Hainault Fire Station open day on Saturday 12 September 2026

What is on

The brigade’s listing for the day promises “a fire engine on display for everyone to have a good look at, plus family fun activities”, with firefighters there to “offer safety advice, talk about our work, and show you around”.

The poster the station sent us adds who else will be there and what is laid on for children:

  • meet your local firefighters
  • meet partner agencies, including the police and the ambulance service
  • a bouncy castle
  • face painting
  • family activities

Neither the listing nor the email mentions booking or an admission charge.

What the brigade told us

We asked nothing that the brigade had not already put in writing, so here is what it sent, in its own words:

Come along to meet your local firefighters, explore the station, see a fire engine up close and learn more about the work of London Fire Brigade. Firefighters will also be sharing practical safety advice, with family-friendly activities taking place during the day.

The email closed by asking readers to pass it on through “parent, member or community updates”, newsletters, local WhatsApp groups, social media pages, websites, event listings and community noticeboards. In the brigade’s words: “Please help us reach as many local residents and families as possible.”

The station gave a contact for the day on its poster: 020 8555 1200, extension 84137, or grant.banks@london-fire.gov.uk.

What it means for you

This is a chance to get inside a working fire station and put questions to the crew who would answer a call to your street. Hainault is one of three fire stations covering the borough. The brigade’s Redbridge page lists the other two as Woodford, at 2 Snakes Lane, IG8 0BS, and Ilford, at 460 High Road, IG1 1UE. Neil Guyett is the borough commander.

If you cannot get to Hainault on Saturday, the safety advice is also online. The brigade’s Home Fire Safety Checker says it “allows you to carry out a thorough check of your home in only a few minutes”, and that where an in-person Home Fire Safety Visit is recommended, the tool explains how to book one.

One caution on what to expect. The brigade’s general description of its open days mentions learning about the vehicles and equipment, taking part in activities and “maybe even try on a firefighter’s uniform”, with Fire Cadets representatives on hand to talk about joining. That is the programme as a whole. The Hainault page notes that “each open day will be individual to the station”, so treat the station’s own poster as the guide to Saturday.

Getting there

The station is on New North Road in IG6. If you are driving in from elsewhere in the borough, on-street parking rules and town centre tariffs are on our Ilford parking page, and anything shut on the roads that morning will be on our roadworks and travel page.

Sources