Four fire engines and around 25 firefighters were called to a fire in a bin storage room at a block of flats on Kay Street in Hackney.
An internal bin storage room on the ground floor was destroyed by fire. There was heavy smoke logging from the ground to the second floor of the building. Four people left the building before the Brigade arrived. A man and a woman were treated on scene by London Ambulance Service crews after suffering from smoke inhalation.
The Brigade’s Fire Investigators believe the fire was accidental and caused by a disposable barbecue.
A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: “The fire is believed to have been caused by a disposable barbecue that hadn’t been cooled properly before being thrown down a rubbish chute.
“Disposable barbecues that have been discarded can cause fires as hot coals smoulder for some time after the flames die down, so it’s really important that they’re cooled properly before being thrown away.”
The Brigade was called at 2352 and the fire was under control by 0051. Fire crews from Bethnal Green, Whitechapel, Shadwell and Homerton fire stations attended the scene.