Dagenham fire latest: Investigation launched over east London tower block blaze

Firefighters are battling a huge fire in Blackwall, east London, just hours after rushing to Dagenham to extinguish a separate fire on Monday morning.

Around 70 London Fire Brigade firefighters and 10 fire engines are responding to the fire believed to be coming from a single flat and balcony.

The LFB reposted a video of black smoke billowing out of a multi-storey tower block at New Providence Wharf, a residential and commercial development area near the Blackwall tunnel, on X.

A resident of the building on fire in Dagenham said escaping felt like “a nightmare” and she was was frightened “to be on the street starting from zero”.

Irina Vasile, 46, a healthcare assistant who lived on the second floor, said she was woken by her partner around 3am telling her there was smoke.

Speaking outside the Beacontree Heath Leisure Centre where the residents have been relocated, she said: “There was such a dense smoke all over the apartment. When we wanted to open the window, another smoke hit our face, on the throat and the eyes.”

Ms Vasile said she was spotted by firefighters after shouting for help and calling 999.

She said: “We didn’t grab nothing – we lost everything. The firemen brought us outside, and when I came outside I saw a big fire coming from the building on the ground floor, and when we went further, I saw another big fire on the top.”

The resident said she did not hear a fire alarm go off during the evacuation. She added: “My partner is devastated as well.

“We try to encourage one another because we lost everything. We are scared and frightened to be on the street starting from zero.”

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has said the major incident regarding the fire in Dagenham has been stood down and thanked the emergency services who worked “tirelessly” through the night.

In a post on X, Mr Khan wrote: “My thoughts are with all those affected by the fire in Dagenham overnight, and I remain in close contact with the London fire commissioner and emergency services who worked tirelessly through the night to gain control of the fire.

“A major incident was declared which has now been stood down. A rest centre has been set up in the area to support residents, and I urge people in the area to follow LFB’s advice to keep windows and doors closed, and for people to avoid the area where possible.”

Dagenham resident Sam, who lives on the fourth floor of the burnt-out building, told the BBC he had just returned from hospital when the fire engulfed the tower block.

He said he inhaled a lot of smoke and fled the building wearing his hospital gown and socks.

London Fire Brigade assistant commissioner Goulbourne said more than 80 people were evacuated from the building by firefighters.

He added that 20 people were rescued with some given fire escape hoods, which provide 15 minutes of clean air while the person is moved to safety.

Four people were treated on the scene by the ambulance service, with two of them taken to hospital, he adds.

Questions around the role of cladding in the fire will form part of the investigation into the incident, a spokesman for London Fire Brigade has said.

When asked about the role cladding played in the fire, assistant commissioner Patrick Goulbourne said: “What I wouldn’t want to do is pre-empt an investigation.

“This was a very, very dynamic incident, and clearly it’s going to require a very complex investigation, not only to get to its cause, but to get to an understanding of the fire spread – so it’s it’s too early at this time to be able to give any detail on that, but that will form part of our investigation in the coming days.”

Claims by residents that fire alarms did not go off as an inferno ripped through their east London tower block are being investigated, the London fire service said.

The London Fire Brigade said an investigation into the cause of the fire had been launched and firefighters would remain on the scene in Dagenham over the next few days.

Earlier, it said a number of fire safety issues were known to the brigade. It did not clarify what those issues were, but it is understood non-compliant cladding was being removed from the building at the time of the fire.

All residents of a tower block in east London have been accounted for after hundreds of people were evacuated following a huge fire.

The London Fire Brigade said a major incident had been wound down and an investigation into the cause of the fire – which left two people in hospital and four injured – had been launched.

The brigade added that claims fire alarms did not go off would be part of the investigation and firefighters were speaking to residents to gather evidence.

A Justice4Grenfell spokesperson said: “Our thoughts go out to all those affected by the devastating fire in Dagenham. This horrific incident underscores the urgent need for safe housing for everyone.

“The government’s prolonged delay in removing dangerous cladding has left lives and liberties at risk, and this is simply unacceptable.

“The process to remove non-compliant cladding has taken far too long, leaving residents in vulnerable situations.

“We demand swift action to ensure that all buildings are made safe without further delay, so tragedies like this do not happen again.”