Ten fire engines and around 70 firefighters attended a fire at a hotel on Amhurst Road in Hackney.
The fire affected two rooms on the fifth and sixth floors of the hotel. Around 16 people were evacuated from the hotel and taken to a rest centre and left in the care of the local authority. There were no reports of any injuries.
People in the local area were advised to keep their windows and doors closed due to smoke being produced from the fire. The Brigade also warned the incident would cause some traffic disruption on Amhurst Road and surrounding roads, near to Hackney Central station, whilst the incident was ongoing.
The fire is being treated as accidental and believed to have been caused by the unsafe use of incense sticks.
A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: "Incense sticks, candles and oil burners are one of the most common causes of fire within homes. It’s really important that you never leave these items unattended.
"Make sure you place incense sticks in a suitable, fire-resistant holder and keep them away from curtains and anything else that can easily catch fire. Remember to put them out entirely when you leave the room and especially before bed."
The Brigade received the first of 16 calls about the fire at 1652 and Control Officers mobilised crews from Homerton, Bethnal Green, Shoreditch, Islington and surrounding fire stations to the scene. A 32-metre turntable ladder from Tottenham Fire Station also attended and was deployed as an observation tower to provide the Incident Commander with a greater situational awareness.
The fire was brought under control by 1820.