Six fire engines and 35 firefighters and officers were called to a fire affecting two semi detached houses on Lea Bridge Road in Leyton on Saturday afternoon.
The fire gutted the first floor and roof of one house and part of the first floor and half of the roof of the neighbouring property. Five people left the first house before the Brigade arrived.
A passer-by saw smoke coming from the first floor of one of the properties and called the Brigade. In total the Brigade’s 999 Control Officers took more than 20 calls to the incident.
The Brigade was called at 1441 and the fire was under control by 1742. Crews from Barking, Shadwell, Islington, Shoreditch, Walthamstow and Homerton fire stations attended the scene. The cause of the fire is under investigation but is believed to be accidental.