PLUMES of smoke were billowing up into the London skyline this afternoon after a huge fire tore through an East London industrial site.
The London Fire Brigade scrambled their units in response, dispatching up to 10 fire engines to Dagenham.
70 firefighters battled to control the blaze which broke out at an industrial site on Willoughby Drive, Dagenham.
Immediately after dispatching units, the London Fire Brigade (LFB) took to X (formerly Twitter) to deliver urgent updates about the blaze.
The LFB said: “Ten fire engines and around 70 firefighters are attending a fire at an industrial site on Beamway in #Dagenham.
“This is a very visible fire and is producing a lot of smoke.
“Please keep windows and doors closed if you are in the area.
“More to follow.”
Footage of the terrifying inferno quickly went viral on social media, as Londoners filmed the black smoke billowing into the air – which could be seen ten miles away in Greenwich.
The Fire Brigade received more than 50 calls about the incident, the first of which came in at 2.09pm.
Station Commander Mel Anderson revealed that the fire had engulfed piles of scrap metal, as well as a number of vehicles at the industrial site.
She also said: “We advise people in the area to keep their windows and doors closed.
“We also request that drivers avoid Rainham Road South with road closures in place whilst this incident is ongoing.”
The fire was finally brought under control at 4.23pm, according to the LFB.
Two gas cylinders have been removed from the area and cooled down as a precaution, in order to prevent an explosion.
London’s Metropolitan Police released a statement about the blaze, confirming that no one has been injured.
The statement reads: “At around 14:32hrs on Sunday, 6 April, officers were called to the scene of a fire on Willoughby Drive, Dagenham. Police attended alongside the London Fire Brigade.
“At this stage, there are not believed to be any injuries, and work is ongoing to understand the cause of the fire.”
The fire has continued to cause major disruption on London’s roads.
The A1112 Dagenham Road is blocked both ways due to fire service activity from B178 Ballards Road to A125 Rainham Road.
