Cigarette likely cause of Harold Wood balcony fire

A cigarette is believed to have started the balcony fire (credit: London Fire Brigade)

A balcony fire in Harold Wood is likely to have been caused by the “careless disposal of a cigarette.”

London Fire Brigade believe this most likely started the blaze, in a block of flats on Saturday afternoon, affecting the external balconies on four of the floors.

The connecting flats to the balconies were also badly damaged.

The flats, in Safflower Lane, were evacuated at around 2.50pm.

60 firefighters from surrounding fire stations were called to tackle the flames.

Crews had brought the blaze under control by 3.40pm and thankfully, nobody was injured.