Ten fire engines and around 70 firefighters tackled a fire at a scrapyard on Willoughby Drive in Dagenham.
Several storage containers, seven cars, and a caravan were destroyed by fire. There have been no reports of any injuries.
Station Commander Mel Anderson, who was at the scene, said: "This was a very visible fire and it produced a lot of smoke. We advised people in the area to keep their windows and doors closed whilst the fire was ongoing."
He added: "We also requested that drivers avoid Rainham Road South with road closures in place during the incident."
Three gas cylinders were removed from the area and cooled to an ambient temperature as a precaution, as some cylinders can explode when exposed to heat.
The Brigade's Control Officers received more than 50 calls about this fire.
The Brigade was called at 1409 and Control Officers mobilised crews from Dagenham, Barking, Wennington, Hornchurch, Romford and surrounding fire stations, including from Essex County Fire & Rescue Service, to the scene. A 32-metre turntable ladder from Greenwich Fire Station was also deployed and used as a water tower to help extinguish the fire from above. The Brigade's drone team also attended, providing the Incident Commander with a greater situational awareness of the fire.
The fire was brought under control by 1623.
The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Brigade and Metropolitan Police.