Firefighters tackle basement fire in Maryland for several hours

Firefighters worked for several hours to tackle the blaze (credit: London Fire Brigade)

Around 70 firefighters tackled a blaze in a mid-terraced block of flats in Maryland.

The fire broke out just before 5pm yesterday, within the property on Leytonstone Road.

Part of the basement, underneath a shop, was destroyed by the fire.

One woman left the building before the Brigade arrived and was taken to hospital by London Ambulance crews as a precaution.

There were no injuries.

A 100-metre cordon was placed around the site of the fire crews, from across Newham, who worked to contain it.

Station Commander Keith Carmichael, who was at the scene, said: “This was a challenging incident because the fire was inside the cavity between the basement and the ground floor of the property.

“Fire crews broke into the fascia and walls of the property to access the fire and extinguish it, using thermal imaging cameras and wearing breathing apparatus.

“As fire crews gained access the blaze, thick smoke escaped.”

The fire was under control by 10.25pm.

The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Brigade’s Fire Investigators and the Metropolitan Police Service.

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