Ten fire engines and 72 firefighters and officers were called to a large fire on London Road in Romford during the early hours of this morning
The blaze has affected a range of industrial and commercial units including a glass manufacturers and a gym.
Group Manager Simon Tuhill who was at the scene said:
“Crews worked hard to get this fire under control and to stop it from spreading and although we have now got the fire surrounded this is likely to be a protracted incident. The fire was made more challenging as there were cylinders in the affected buildings. Some cylinders can explode when they are exposed to heat so our firefighters have had to cool them to make them safe.
“Around ten people from neighbouring homes were evacuated as a precaution but thankfully no-one was involved in the fire and there have been no injuries. We have also put a 20 metre hazard zone in place because of concerns about the safety of the building’s structure.”
The Brigade was called at 0155 and the fire was under control by 0803. Firefighters are expected to be at the scene of this incident for some time. Two aerial ladder platforms were also used to fight the fire from above.
Crews from Romford, Hornchurch, Dagenham, Harold Hill, Ilford, Hainault, Leytonstone, Walthamstow and East Ham fire stations are at the scene.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.