Huge fire rips through East London just metres from busy street festival

‘Thick black smoke’ filled sky ‘within seconds,’ alarmed residents tell The Independent

A massive fire broke out in East London just metres away from a busy street festival on Saturday.

Plumes of black smoke rose above Iceland and a block of flats on Woodgrange Road, Forest Gate.

Emergency services rushed to the scene as police cordons were put in place around the main road.

Just round the corner from the incident, an annual street party full of families and children was in full swing.

Have you been affected by this incident? If so email maryam.zakir-hussain@independent.co.uk

Witness Shehnaz Umer told The Independent: “I saw the smoke and immediately knew it was the start of something huge.

“Within a minute the flames were visible. As I drove ahead and looked in my rearview mirror, the sky was filled with black smoke within seconds.”

‘Thick black smoke’ cloaked surrounding roads (@CrimeLdn/Twitter)

A stallholder at the Forest Gate Festival said she could see “thick black smoke” towering above.

She said: “It was quite shocking and sudden, all this thick black smoke billowing up, while the music was blaring at the festival.

“A few of my neighbouring stall holders were worried it might affect the festival, but thankfully it hasn’t. Hoping no one was hurt.”

A fire broke out in Forest Gate, East London on Saturday after midday (@CrimeLdn/Twitter)

A spokesperson for the London Fire Brigade said: “Firefighters are responding to a fire in a commercial property. Our control officers were first called at 12.03 pm and they have taken 13 calls reporting the fire.

“There are no reports of any injuries at this time and the cause of the fire is not yet known.”

The fire has since been put out.

Newham Council tweeted: “The fire is now out and there were no injuries. Woodgrange Road has reopened and the emergency services are leaving the scene. Thanks to our partners at London Fire Brigade #LFBNewham.”

The incident comes just two weeks after 150 firefighters responded to a blaze nearby on Nursery Lane.

Around a hundred people were evacuated from nearby properties and shops.

The cause of the fire was put under investigation.