Six fire engines and around 40 firefighters attended a boat fire near Homerton Road in Homerton.
Most of a canal boat was damaged by fire. There were no reports of any injuries.
A 25-metre cordon was put in place and firefighters cooled two gas cylinders to an ambient temperature as a precaution, as some cylinders can explode when exposed to heat.
The Brigade was called at 0249 and Control Officers mobilised crews from Leyton, Homerton, Leytonstone, Stratford and Bethnal Green fire stations to the scene. The fire was brought under control by 0413.
The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Brigade and Metropolitan Police.