Fire breaks out in block of flats in Plaistow

Ten fire engines and around 70 firefighters have responded to a blaze at a residential block on Queens Road West in Plaistow, London Fire Brigade (LFB) said.

According to LFB, the fire took hold in a 10th-floor flat in a block of 15 storeys, and the balcony and flat interior were "well alight".

The Brigade said balconies on the 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th floors, directly above the fire, were also heavily damaged by flames.

“Three men left the flat before the Brigade arrived, and two were treated on scene by the London Ambulance Service. Around 30 people have been evacuated by the building,” it added.

LFB said there had been more than 30 calls reporting the fire, with the first received just after 8am, and firefighters from East Ham, Plaistow, Stratford and surrounding fire stations were at the scene.

The Brigade's fire investigation team believe the fire was started accidentally, caused by the failure of a lithium battery. 

LFB said the fire was brought under control shortly after 9am but traffic in the area will be impacted as crews remain on scene.

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