Four fire engines and around 25 firefighters tackled a fire at a dry cleaners on Bethnal Green Road in Bethnal Green.
Part of the ground floor of an end-of-terrace dry cleaners and office building was damaged by fire. There were no reports of any injuries.
The fire is believed to have been caused by the self-heating of tea towels that had been tumble dried and placed in a plastic tub.
A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: “These types of fires often involve textiles that become contaminated with oil, most commonly linseed, massage and cooking oil on tea towels, tablecloths and chef whites.
“Sometimes when materials are cleaned, put in tumble dryers and then folded and stacked, the heat from the tumble drying cannot escape. This can result in a high enough temperature allowing it to build up to a point where it smoulders and eventually ignites.
“If you are washing and then drying on a hot cycle, always use the cooling cycle on the tumble dryer so it cools down and allow the heat to dissipate properly, before stacking laundered items together.”
The Brigade was called at 2345 and the fire was under control by 0045. Fire crews from Bethnal Green, Shoreditch, Whitechapel and Shadwell fire stations attended the scene.