More than 100 firefighters tackle east London fire with residents told to ‘keep windows closed’

Firefighters continue to tackle a huge blaze at an east London waste site, with smoke visible for miles.

The alarm was raised at about 3.26am today after the fire broke out at the site on Chequers Lane, Dagenham.

Thick black smoke could be seen billowing into the air as flames engulfed the facility on the industrial estate near the A13.

Local residents are urged to keep their windows and doors shut due to the smoke.

Fifteen fire engines and around 100 firefighters are at the scene, London Fire Brigade said.

They are using two turntable ladders, a hose laying unit and a high volume pump to try to access more water across the ground.

Station Commander Graham Beers said: ‘This is a large incident that will see crews working hard through the morning to bring it under control. Residents in the nearby area should keep doors and windows closed where possible. The fire is producing a significant amount of smoke.’

The cause of the blaze is not known yet. No injuries have been reported.

Crews and engines from Dagenham, Barking, East Ham and other surrounding fire stations were called to the blaze.

The fire struck as London and large parts of the South are gripped by drought conditions, with a fifth heatwave of the season bringing more hot weather this week.

England and Wales endured their driest July on record since the Met Office began keeping records 190 years ago.

Most of England and London have gone without rain now for over a month.

The forecaster said: ‘England and Wales have provisionally recorded their driest July on record, while southern England has seen its driest month ever recorded in a rainfall series dating back to 1836. These remarkable conditions come after a summer already marked by several heat records, contributing to drought conditions affecting all of Wales and around half of England.’

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