Ten fire engines and 72 firefighters and officers were called to a fire at a car service centre on Forest Road in Walthamstow this evening.
Three quarters of the ground floor of a car workshop was damaged by the fire and half of the mezzanine floor. Two cars and a van were also destroyed by the blaze. One propane cylinder exploded before the Brigade arrived and fire crews safely removed two other cyclinders.
Speaking from the scene Group Manager John Graham said: "Crews were faced with a severe fire and worked very hard in difficult condition to bring it under control. We also worked closely with British Transport Police and Transport for London to maintain the Victoria line service."
Crews from Walthamstow, Woodford, Holloway, Soho, Kentish Town, Chingford, Edmonton, Poplar and Stratford fire stations were at the scene.
The Brigade was called at 1950 the incident was over by 2322.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.