Six fire engines and around 40 firefighters were called to a house fire on Varley Road in Canning Town.
Most of the ground floor of a mid-terraced house was damaged by fire. Half of the stairs from the ground to the first floor and part of the first floor were also damaged by the blaze. A man and a woman left the building before the Brigade arrived and were taken to hospital by London Ambulance Service crews.
The fire was discovered by a resident who saw a flash from behind a cupboard under the stairs. They then left the building and alerted a neighbour who called 999.
The Brigade was called at 1706 and the fire was under control by 1814. Fire crews from Plaistow, East Ham, Stratford, Barking, Millwall and Shadwell fire stations attended the scene.
The fire is believed to have been accidental and caused by resisting heating in the electrical system.