Six fire engines and around 40 firefighters tackled a fire at a block of flats on Chrisp Street in Poplar.
A bin room on the ground floor was destroyed by the fire. Firefighters led six people to safety from the ground floor. There were no reports of any injuries.
The Brigade was called at 1739 and the fire was under control by 1857. Firefighters from Millwall, Shadwell and Whitechapel Fire Stations attended the scene.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.