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cores of firefighters were forced to deal with a fire in a high-rise block of flats and another grass fire opposite in North Woolwich.
Video posted on social media showed flames pouring from the top floor balcony and window of Dunedin House on Manwood Street at 12.50pm on Wednesday afternoon.
125 firefighters responded to more than 105 calls to the blaze, which could be seen for miles around.
Forces were able to evacuate residents and finally bring the flames under control by 3:07 p.m. The LFB said smoke from the fire was reducing. There are no reports of casualties.
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The cause of the fire is under investigation.
London Ambulance Service said: “We were called at 12.55pm today to reports of a fire at a tower block in North Woolwich. We have been working closely with our emergency service partners at the scene and our crews have now been brought to a standstill.”
Station Commander Keith Sanders, who was at the scene, said: “Crews arrived to find a top floor flat on fire which was producing heavy smoke. They also encountered a grass fire in the area opposite the block.
“There was a lot of belongings and clutter in the flat which made it a challenge for the firefighters. This can cause fires to spread much faster, especially when there are lots of flammable items like newspapers or cardboard.
Smoke is coming out of the top of the tower
/ @Mr_Stevo87
London Ambulance Service (LAS) said: “We sent a number of resources to the scene, including advanced paramedics and our hazardous area response team.”
PA
It came after the LFB had its busiest day since the end of the Second World War with more than 2,600 emergency calls made to a series of bushfires which destroyed 40 properties and injured 16 firefighters.
The force said on Twitter that “this unprecedented hot weather” meant firefighters dealt with more than 1,146 incidents in London.
The brigade’s Assistant Commissioner, Jonathan Smith, added: “Firefighters across London worked in very difficult conditions to protect Londoners and their heroic actions mean no lives were lost.
“Yesterday’s fires are yet another example of how we are increasingly facing new extreme weather events as our climate changes and we develop long-term strategies to deal with more incidents like this in the future.”
Soho Station Commander John Singleton said: “It was emotionally and physically draining for everyone.
“We saw cars burning, we saw fires burning … it was like a war zone because we were passing houses that we couldn’t save and they were burned.
“You think ‘six or seven hours ago this was someone’s home’, so it’s only natural that we all feel it.”
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