Massive hearth in UK metropolis sees 100 evacuated as 225 firefighters battle big blaze

Over 200 firefighters are battling a terrifying inferno in East London, with massive flames ripping through a building and forcing more than 100 residents to evacuate.

Two individuals have been rushed to hospital as the fire continues to rage, with 225 firefighters and forty fire engines on the scene trying to extinguish the blaze. The London Fire Brigade (LFB) was alerted to the catastrophic fire on Freshwater Road in Dagenham at 2.44am on Monday.

The enormous fire has triggered an emergency response, with crews from Dagenham, Ilford, Romford, Barking, and nearby fire stations attending the scene. The brigade reported that parts of the scaffolding around the building, as well as the ground floor and roof, were ablaze.

Locals are being urged to keep their windows and doors shut due to the “heavy smoke,” produced by the fire, reports the Mirror.

The LFB has described the property as a “mixed-use residential and commercial building”. The cause of the fire is still unknown.

Station Commander Alan Bendell, who is at the scene, said: “The fire is producing heavy smoke and we’re advising local residents to keep windows and doors closed.”

“Two of the Brigade’s 32-metre turntable ladders are being used at the scene as aerial water towers to assist with tackling the fire from height. Freshwater Road is closed to traffic, so please avoid the area where possible.”

A spokesperson for the London Ambulance Service confirmed they dispatched a “large number of resources” to the scene following the fire.

“We were called at 2.52am to reports of a fire on Freshwater Road in Dagenham”, they said. “We sent a large number of resources to the scene, including ambulance crews, incident response officers, an advanced paramedic in critical care, emergency planning officers, a command support vehicle and members of our hazardous area response team (HART).”

“We also dispatched London’s Air Ambulance.”

The Met Police released a statement on X, stating that police officers are still present at the scene. “Officers remain at the scene of this significant fire, supporting London Fire Brigade and working to keep local residents safe and supported.”