London Fire Brigade dealing with industrial unit fire in Leyton. Image: @LondonFire

Local residents in Rigg Approach area of Leyton have been advised to keep windows and doors shut as 15 fire engines tackled a large industrial unit blaze.

It closed the A104 Lea Bride Road in both directions.

A mixed use building which includes offices and some living accommodation was alight.

Around 17 people left the building before the Brigade arrived and they were able to shelter in a nearby building on the industrial estate.

The fire is said to have been producing ‘lots of smoke.’

Rig Approach fire producing ‘lots of smoke.’ Image: @LondonFire

15 London Fire Brigade appliances, three aerial units, and over 100 firefighters have been sent to the incident.

Station Manager Alan Lamb who was at the scene said:

The alarm was raised by a resident who returned home to smell smoke. “Firefighters managed to stop the fire from spreading to any adjacent buildings and ensure train services on the adjacent railway line were able to keep running.

A large section of the building has been damaged by the fire.

Fire-fighting units from the LFB stations Leyton, Homerton, Leytonstone, Hornsey, Barking, Walthamstow and Stoke Newington fire stations were at the scene.

The Brigade was called at 1.23 am and the fire was under control by 5.28 am but deep seated pockets of fire remain and crews are expected to be at the scene damping down for some time.

The cause of the fire is not known at this stage.

Firefighters had been training hoses on the seat of the fire as well as operating to contain it by preventing spread to neighbouring buildings.

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