Four fire engines and around 25 firefighters were called to a fire at a block of flats on The Ridgeway in Chingford.
A ground floor flat in a three-storey block was damaged by the fire. Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus rescued a woman from the affected flat, but she was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.
The Brigade was called at 2345 and the fire was under control by 0114. Fire crews from Chingford, Woodford and Enfield fire stations were at the scene.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.