Fifteen fire engines and around 100 firefighters were called to a fire near Elephant and Castle Railway Station.
Three commercial units underneath the railway arches were completely destroyed by the fire. Eight cars that were inside the garage and a further six that were outside and one telephone box were also destroyed.
Four men left the scene before the Brigade arrived, six people were treated by the London Ambulance Service at the scene and one person was taken to hospital.
Around 600 people were evacuated from surrounding properties as a precaution and all trains were stopped from coming into the over ground station.
Station Commander James Ryan, who was at the scene, said: "There were significant road closures in place and people were asked to avoid the area.
"Local people were advised to keep their windows and doors closed whilst firefighters worked to bring the fire under control.
"The station and nearby buildings were evacuated."
The Brigade's 999 Control Officers took 46 calls to the blaze.
The Brigade was called at 1343 and the fire was under control by 1758. Fire crews from Old Kent Road, Lambeth, Soho, Whitechapel and surrounding fire stations attended the scene.
The fire is thought to be accidental and believed to have been caused by an electrical fault within a car in a spray booth.