fire crews were forced to tackle a blaze at a high-rise block of flats and another grass fire across the street in North Woolwich. Video posted on social media shows flames pouring from a top floor balcony and window of Dunedin House in Manwood Street at 12.50pm on Wednesday. 125 firefighters responded to more than 105 calls to the blaze that was visible for miles around. The force managed to evacuate the residents and finally bring the flames under control by 15.07. LFB said smoke from the fire was clearing. There are no reports of injuries.
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The causes of the fire are being investigated. The London Ambulance Service said: “We were called at 12.55pm today to reports of a fire in a tower block in North Woolwich. We worked closely with our emergency service partners at the scene and our crews have now been prevented.” Station Commander Keith Saunders, who was at the scene, said: “Crews arrived to find a top floor level, which was pouring out heavy smoke. They also dealt with a grass fire in an area across the block. “There were a lot of belongings and clutter inside the apartment which made it difficult for the firefighters. It can make fires spread much faster, especially when there are lots of flammable items like newspapers or cardboard.” Smoke pours from the top of the tower / @Mr_Stevo87 London Ambulance Service (LAS) said: “We have sent a number of resources to the scene, including advanced paramedics and our danger zone response team.” PA It came after the LFB had its busiest day since the end of the Second World War with more than 2,600 emergency calls made to a series of fires which destroyed 40 properties and injured 16 firefighters. The force said on Twitter “unprecedented hot weather” meant firefighters dealt with more than 1,146 incidents across London. Brigade Assistant Commissioner Jonathan Smith added: “Firefighters across London worked in very difficult conditions to protect Londoners and their heroic actions did not mean no lives were lost. “Yesterday’s fires are another example of how we are increasingly challenged by new extreme weather events as our climate changes and we develop long-term strategies to deal with more such events in the future.” Soho station commander John Singleton said: “Emotionally and physically it was exhausting for everyone. “We saw cars burning, we saw fires burning… it was like a war zone because we were walking in front of houses that we couldn’t save and they burned. “You think ‘six or seven hours ago this was someone’s house’, so naturally we all felt that.”
