Eight fire engines and around 60 firefighters were called to a fire at New Providence Wharf on Fairmont Avenue in Poplar.
Half of a balcony on the 13th floor of the 19-storey building was damaged by fire. One man from the flat affected, along with a further two people who were inside the building, were taken to hospital by London Ambulance Service. Their injuries were not serious.
London Fire Brigade Assistant Commissioner Pam Oparaocha said: “Firefighters worked quickly and professionally to bring this incident to a safe conclusion.
“Our Control Officers immediately mobilised five fire engines along with a fire rescue unit and 32-metre turntable ladder, which is our standard response for fires at high-rise buildings. The first crews were on scene within three minutes. Due to the volume of calls being received, as the fire was very visible, three further appliances were sent before the initial Incident Commander requested further resources following an assessment of the situation.
“Thanks to quick and decisive actions by firefighters, the damage from the fire was restricted to the flat’s balcony and a door leading out on to it, with the fire brought under control within 25 minutes of arrival.
“This building has known fire safety issues and control measures are in place in the event of a fire. Once it became apparent there was a fire, on-site staff took the correct course of action and carried out a swift evacuation of around 150 people from the building before firefighters arrived. After the fire was extinguished, the Incident Commander spoke to residents and answered any questions they had about the incident.
“Whilst significant improvements have been made to this building since the large fire that occurred in May 2021, and this was evident during yesterday’s incident, we continue to work closely with the responsible persons to ensure that the safety of residents remains a priority.”
The fire is being treated as accidental and is believed to have been caused by the unsafe disposal of a cigarette.
Assistant Commissioner Oparaocha continued: “If you're a smoker, it’s absolutely vital you ensure your cigarette is completely out when you’ve finished smoking it. If you don’t, you risk causing a fire which could not only destroy your home but also cost you your life.
“If you are smoking on your balcony, have an ashtray to hand, and don’t flick your ashes or cigarette off the balcony.”
The Brigade's Control officers received around 30 calls alerting them to the fire. The first call was received at 2047 and crews from Poplar, Millwall, Plaistow, Shadwell and surrounding fire stations were deployed to the scene. The fire was brought under control by 2115.