A house that suddenly exploded causing a roaring blaze in a residential street has injured at least two people.
Firefighters raced to the house fire in Ilford, east London, after being alerted at about 4.10pm today, reports the Mirror. Around 60 firefighters arrived at the scene where the rood and first floor of the property were ablaze and that two people were taken to a nearby hospital by the London Ambulance Service, it is understood.
Videos online showed the moment of the explosion before the fire spread around the house as debris fell on the ground and nearby vehicles with bystanders appearing shocked.
The London Fire Brigade (LFB) said at the fire’s height, the first floor and loft conversion were fully alight. Station Commander Darren McTernan is at the scene and he said: “Firefighters worked hard to bring this fire under control. Crews will remain on scene throughout the evening.
“Ley Street remains closed between Eastern Avenue and Vicarage Road, impacting traffic in the surrounding area, so please continue to avoid the area if you can. One of the Brigade’s 32-metre turntable ladders was used at the scene as a water tower to help fight the fire from above. The Brigade’s drone team were also deployed to the incident, offering the Incident Commander an aerial view of the scene.”
Crews from Ilford, Dagenham, Barking and surrounding fire stations to the scene rushed to the incident after the control room took 25 calls about the fire – which was brought under control by 6.23pm. Traffic delays were caused in the surrounding area as Ley Street and Brenton road were closed. The LFB previously told people to avoid the area if possible.
The cause of the fire is not known at this time as an investigation has been launched into the cause of the fire. Labour MP for Ilford South Jas Athwal added: “Please be aware there is an ongoing fire in a residential property on Ley Street in Ilford. @LondonFire and MPSRedsbridge are on the scene. People are advised to stay away from the area while the emergency services attend.”
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