Six fire engines and around 40 firefighters were called to a fire at a disused building on Stansfeld Road in Beckton.
Part of the roof of the building was damaged by fire. There were no reports of any injuries.
Station Commander Gary Wilson, who was at the scene, said: "Firefighters used the Brigade’s new 32 and 64 metre turntable ladders to gain access to the roof and provide an aerial view of the incident. Crews also used thermal imaging cameras to identify hot spots.
"The fire produced a large amount of low-lying smoke which drifted across the area and we urged local residents to keep their windows and doors closed.
"Stansfeld Road was closed between Tollgate Road and Royal Albert Way. Firefighters remained on scene throughout the night damping down."
The Brigade was called at 1707 and the fire was under control by 2104. Fire crews from Millwall, Shadwell, East Greenwich, East Ham and surrounding fire stations attended the scene.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.