A fire engulfed six homes in Dagenham, East London, this afternoon, taking some 100 firefighters to be put out.
The blaze broke just after 1.30pm in two terraced homes along Third Avenue, sending thick clouds of smoke into the residential street.
Four nearby houses were torn apart by the fire, leaving double-storey extensions and some or entire back gardens completely charred.
The fire was under control by 3.48pm, the fire brigade said in an incident report. No one was injured.
Drivers are still being urged to avoid the area while locals should keep their windows and doors closed.
Road closures are in place.
The cause of the fire is unclear, fire officials said.
The brigade received around 50 calls about the inferno from 1.33pm.
Station Commander Darren McTernan, who was at the scene, said: ‘Crews worked hard to bring the fire under control.
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‘We asked local residents to keep windows and doors closed due to significant amounts of smoke being produced from the fire.
‘Road closures are still in place while firefighters remain on scene and the area is heavily congested. People are urged to avoid the area where possible.’
A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said earlier: ‘We were called at 1.41pm today to reports of a fire on Third Avenue, Dagenham.
‘We have sent resources to the scene, including ambulance crews, a paramedic in a fast response car, an incident response officer and members of our hazardous area response team.
‘The incident is still ongoing and we are working with our emergency services partners.’
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