Fire investigators believe a fire in a four floor block of maisonettes in Canning Town on Tuesday afternoon was caused by the careless disposal of a cigarette.
A man and his son managed to escape before firefighters arrived on the scene. The man suffered burns to his hands and his son was uninjured. They were both taken to hospital by London Ambulance Service crews.
Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus managed to contain the fire damage to the ground floor of the two storey maisonette in Beaconsfield Road. The rest of the maisonette sustained smoke damage.
A spokesperson for the London Fire Brigade said:
“We believe that the fire was caused by a carelessly discarded cigarette igniting a wooden storage area in the garden.
“It’s absolutely vital you ensure your cigarette is completely out when you’ve finished smoking it.”
Four fire engines and 21 firefighters and officers from East Ham, Plaistow, Poplar and Shadwell fire stations attended the incident.
The Brigade was called at 1414 and the fire was brought under control by 1546.