House fire - East Ham

Six fire engines and around 40 firefighters tackled a house fire on Manbrough Avenue in East Ham. 

Most of the ground floor of a mid-terraced house was damaged by fire. Garden sheds and outbuildings belonging to two neighbouring properties were also destroyed by the blaze. There were no reports of any injuries. 

The Brigade's 999 Control Officers took 34 calls to the blaze.

Station Commander Chris Jenner, who was at the scene, said: "The fire is believed to have started in the garden and spread into a house and to two neighbouring properties."

The Brigade was called at 1257 and the fire was under control by 1407. Fire crews from Poplar, Shadwell, East Greenwich, Homerton, Bethnal Green and Greenwich fire stations attended the scene. 

The fire is believed to have been caused by the unsafe disposal of smoking materials.

Safety advice for smokers:

• Make sure you have smoke alarms fitted in every room you regularly use in your home including in the hallways.
• Never smoke in bed.
• Always ensure you stub out cigarettes properly and dispose of them carefully.
• Keep matches and lighters out of children's reach.
• Never leave lit cigarettes or cigars unattended.
• Empty ashtrays carefully, ensuring all smoking materials are stubbed out and cold.
• If you must smoke, do it outdoors.