Fire at bedsit - Whitechapel

Firefighters are urging smokers to make sure they fully extinguish cigarettes when they’ve finished smoking after a fire at a shop with dwellings above on Brick Lane in Whitechapel.

Part of a bedsit on the second floor was damaged by the fire. Around eight people left the building before the Brigade arrived. Firefighters led one man to safety from the second floor via an internal staircase. He was suffering from smoke inhalation and was treated on scene before being taken to hospital by London Ambulance Service crews.

A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: “If you smoke it is vitally important you stub it right out, preferably in an ashtray.

"Always ensure your cigarette is completely out when you’ve finished smoking it. If you don’t, you risk causing a fire as you don’t know what it may land on which could potentially start a fire. If you must smoke, do it outdoors. If you’re looking to quit, there is lots of support available to help you and your loved ones quit through NHS Smoke Free – and on 0300 123 1044."

Safety advice for smokers

• Make sure you have smoke alarms fitted in every room you regularly use in your home including in the hallways.
• Never smoke in bed.
• Always ensure you stub out cigarettes properly and dispose of them carefully.
• Keep matches and lighters out of children's reach.
• Never leave lit cigarettes or cigars unattended.
• Empty ashtrays carefully, ensuring all smoking materials are stubbed out and cold.
• If you must smoke, do it outdoors.

The Brigade was called at 2147 and the fire was under control by 2241. Fire crews from Whitechapel, Shoreditch, Shadwell and Dowgate fire stations attended the incident.

The cause of the fire is believed to be due to the unsafe disposal of smoking materials.