Firefighters were called to a fire at a shop with flats above on East Road in Chadwell Heath.
Part of a ground floor shop was damaged by fire. Around 10 people left the building before the Brigade arrived. There were no reports of any injuries.
The fire was discovered when a resident in one of the flats smelt burning and went into the kitchen to find it was full of smoke from the shop below. They then called 999.
The Brigade’s Fire Investigators believe the fire was accidental and believed to have been caused by a faulty kitchen appliance.
A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: “Our advice is to always make sure you’re aware of white goods safety and to check your appliances.
“If your white goods start making a strange noise, don’t ignore it. If you think there’s a problem always unplug it and contact the manufacturer or a qualified repair technician.
“Most fires where white goods are the source of ignition are not down to anything you have done – so always make sure you register your appliances as you’ll be informed if any issues are identified with the product you’ve bought.
“This incident is also a timely reminder to test your smoke alarms. There were smoke alarms in this property, but they failed to alert the residents to the fire. Smoke alarms give the earliest possible warning to fire, providing time to escape. You should have smoke alarms in every room where a fire could start, plus a heat alarm in the kitchen.”
The Brigade was called at 0107 and the fire was under control by 0337. Two fire engines and around 10 firefighters from Dagenham Fire Station attended the scene.