Dagenham fire LIVE: Investigation to probe 'safety issues' at east London block as major incident stood down and all residents safe

The London Fire Brigade will investigate “fire safety issues” at a high rise residential and commercial block in east London that was engulfed by a huge blaze on Monday.

Forty fire engines and around 225 firefighters responded to the blaze in Freshwater Road, Dagenham, with the London Fire Brigade declaring a major incident.

More than 100 people were evacuated from the building and two people have been taken to hospital.

Authorities had been working to remove cladding from the tower block shortly before it was hit by the fire.

Vulcan, a leading company in architectural cladding systems, posted on Facebook last week that it was working to remove “non-compliant cladding” on the building.

London Fire Commissioner Andy Roe said: "The building has a number of fire safety issues known to London Fire Brigade. A full simultaneous evacuation of the building was immediately carried out and a significant search and rescue operation took place.

“I am pleased to confirm that everyone has been accounted for. More than 80 people were evacuated with firefighters leading residents out to safety and carrying out 20 rescues.”

Scaffolding surrounding the building was alight, as well parts of the ground to sixth floors and the roof, the LFB, who were called to the blaze at 2.44am on Monday, said.

For the latest updates see below.

Key Points

• Forty fire engines and 225 firefighters called to blaze on Freshwater Road

• More than 100 people evacuated from the building and two hospitalised

• London Fire Brigade says building had 'known' safety issues

• A rest centre has been set up nearby for evacuated residents

• People have been urged to avoid the area and keep windows closed due to smoke

Live coverage ends

21:28

Our live coverage of this story ends here. Many thanks for following along.

You can read more about the Dagenham fire here, and about the Blackwall fire here.

No injuries reported in Blackwall fire, says London Fire Brigade

18:47 , Lydia Chantler-Hicks

There were no reported injuries during the earlier fire in a 45-storey building in Blackwall, east London, the London Fire Brigade (LFB) has said.

A “small part” of a flat and the “entirety of a balcony” on the 25th floor of the tower block were destroyed in the blaze at New Providence Wharf, Biscayne Avenue, the LFB said in a statement on Monday afternoon.

The fire service said it was first called to the incident at 1.28pm and that crews from Millwall, Plaistow, Shadwell and surrounding fire stations were involved in the response, which included 70 firefighters and 10 fire engines.

By 2.50pm, the fire was under control, the LFB added.

The fire was separate to the one that tore through another tower block in Dagenham on Monday.

Twenty people rescued by firefighters from Dagenham blaze

17:41 , Lydia Chantler-Hicks

London Fire Commissioner Andy Roe has said: “I am immensely grateful to the crews and officers who have operated in the most dangerous conditions to both rescue people and bring the incident under control despite being faced with a significant building failure.

"The building has a number of fire safety issues known to London Fire Brigade. A full simultaneous evacuation of the building was immediately carried out and a significant search and rescue operation took place.

“I am pleased to confirm that everyone has been accounted for.

“More than 80 people were evacuated with firefighters leading residents out to safety and carrying out 20 rescues.

“This included using fire escape hoods, which can provide 15 minutes of clean, filtered air in smoke-filled environments, helping individuals stay safe until they can be rescued or reach safety.

“Four people were treated on scene by London Ambulance Service crews, with two taken to hospital.”

Mr Roe said the first fire crew arrived on the scene of the Dagenham fire within five minutes of the first call coming at 2.44am. The second crew arrived within six minutes, he said.

Resident says Dagenham fire was like 'a nightmare'

17:36 , Lydia Chantler-Hicks

A resident of the building that was hit by a fire in Dagenham earlier today said the incident felt like “a nightmare” and she felt “frightened to be on the street starting from zero”.

Irina Vasile, 46, a healthcare assistant who lived on the second floor of the building, said she was woken by her partner around 3am telling her there was smoke.

Speaking outside the Beacontree Heath Leisure Centre where the residents have been relocated, she told reporters: “[There was] such a dense smoke all over the apartment. When we wanted to open the window, another smoke hit our face, on the throat and the eyes.”

Ms Vasile said she was spotted by firefighters after shouting for help and calling 999.

She said: “We didn’t grab nothing – we lost everything. The firemen bring us outside, and while I came outside, I’ve seen a big fire come from the building on the ground floor, and when we went further, I’ve seen another big fire on the top.”

She said she did not hear a fire alarm go off during the evacuation.

She added: “My partner is devastated as well. We try to encourage one another because we lost everything. We are scared, frightened to be on the street starting from zero.”

Blackwall fire under control

16:10 , Daniel Keane

The London Fire Brigade has said that a fire in Blackwall is now under control.

The LFB said the blaze had been brought under control by 3.30pm but that the fire was producing a large amount of smoke.

Traffic is likely to remain impacted as crews begin to leave the scene, they added.

Fall in firefighters revealed in new study

15:39 , Daniel Keane

The number of firefighters in the UK has fallen by 12,000 since 2010, according to a new study.

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) claimed the reduction had left the UK without the resilience needed to guarantee public safety.

One in five firefighter jobs across the country have been axed in the last 14 years, as well as one in three fire control staff, who take emergency calls and mobilise crews, said the union.

Breaking: Firefighters tackling new blaze in Blackwall

15:00 , Daniel Keane

Scores of firefighters are tackling a flat fire in a high rise building in Blackwall.

Half of a flat and balcony on the 25th floor of the 45-storey building is alight, the London Fire Brigade said.

It said ten fire engines and around 70 firefighters were tackling a flat fire in a high rise building on Biscayne Avenue.

The fire is producing a large amount of smoke, it said, as it shared a video of smoke poring out of the building.

Read our full story here.

Pictured: Firefighters at the scene of the blaze

13:20 , Daniel Keane

LFB decline to comment on cladding removal

12:56 , Daniel Keane

Asked whether the removal of unsafe cladding from the building had impacted the fire, Mr Goulbourne declined to comment.

“Clearly this is going to require a complex investigation, to get to the understanding of how the fire spread. It’s too early to give any detail on that but it will form part of our investigation.”

LFB to investigate concerns over fire safety in building

12:42 , Daniel Keane

Mr Goulbourne said that crews had been able to use a range of new technology to bring the incident under control, including drones and large turntable ladders.

“We will now begin a full investigation into the cause of this fire,” he said.

“This was a very dynamic and challenging incident. We know there will be concerns about fire safety in this building. This will form part of our report.

“Our thoughts are with all those who have been affected.”

LFB senior officer confirms all residents are now accounted for

12:39 , Daniel Keane

Patrick Goulbourne, incident commander and an Assistant Commissioner at the LFB, is now speaking to reporters at the scene.

He confirmed the news that the major incident has now been stood down.

Mr Goulbourne thanked fire officers and crews who put themselves “at great risk” in “extremely dangerous conditions” to rescue people that were faced with a “significant building failure”.

Everyone in the building has been accounted for, he added.

Major incident stood down, Sadiq Khan confirms

12:31 , Daniel Keane

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has said the major incident regarding the fire in Dagenham has been stood down and thanked the emergency services who worked "tirelessly" through the night.

In a post on X, Mr Khan wrote: "My thoughts are with all those affected by the fire in Dagenham overnight, and I remain in close contact with the LondonFire Commissioner and emergency services who worked tirelessly through the night to gain control of the fire.

"A major incident was declared which has now been stood down.

"A rest centre has been set up in the area to support residents, and I urge people in the area to follow LFB's advice to keep windows and doors closed, and for people to avoid the area where possible."

Resident left 'coughing up black' from smoke

12:26 , Daniel Keane

A resident of the building on fire in Dagenham described the incident as "very terrible" and said he was coughing up "black" from the smoke.

Sam Ogbeide, who lives on the fourth floor, told reporters: "I opened my main door, smoke was coming in from the window - I live at the back. I saw it (the fire). Very terrible, very terrible.

Mr Ogbeide said it was very busy in the building's stairwell with fellow residents who "didn't bring anything" when evacuating, with some still "naked".

He said: "I've never experienced something like this in my life. Everything is gone. I don't know what to do."

Resident heard 'screaming' as fire broke out

12:07 , Daniel Keane

A resident living near the building which caught fire in Dagenham said he heard people "screaming" as the incident unfolded.

Ahmed, 44, of Kemp Road, which is a few hundred yards from the property, said: "When I woke up, I saw the fire engines, the helicopters and obviously the smoke everywhere. People were screaming."

Health Secretary thanks emergency services

11:52 , Daniel Keane

Health Secretary Wes Streeting has thanked emergency services for their response to the fire in Dagenham.

The MP for Ilford North tweeted: “Huge thanks to emergency services for their response to the fire in Dagenham.

“My thoughts are very much with those affected.”

Pregnant woman escapes sixth floor of burning building

11:27 , Daniel Keane

A pregnant woman has told BBC News how she escaped the fire on the sixth floor.

Forida Khatun said she saw the fire from her window and described people “running down the stairs”.

“The smoke was getting heavier… and everyone was coughing coming down,” she added.

Campaign group says cladding situation 'very concerning'

11:08 , Daniel Keane

Reacting to the Dagenham fire, campaign group End Our Cladding Scandal has said it is “very concerning” that the building had known fire safety issues.

“Seven years after Grenfell, there are still many thousands of buildings across the country with life-critical safety defects and the pace of remediation has been shockingly slow,” they said.

Pictured: Apartment block gutted by fire

10:49 , Daniel Keane

Home Secretary thanks LFB for swift response

10:28 , Daniel Keane

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has thanked emergency services for their swift response to the fire.

She tweeted: “My thoughts are with all those affected by the major fire incident in Dagenham. I thank London Fire Brigade & all emergency services on the ground for their bravery and swift response.

“I and @ukhomeoffice Ministers are receiving updates on the incident from operational partners.”

Resident describes rushing 'terrified' children out of burning building

10:15 , Daniel Keane

Dinesh Raj, whose six-year-old daughter was having a sleepover with friends in the building when the fire broke out, told the BBC the children are "calm now", but were "terrified" initially.

Mr Raj said he received a call at around 3am from his friend, who was looking after his daughter, telling him there was a fire in the building.

The father told the BBC he rushed to the scene in his car and that his friend's family grabbed their six-month-old baby and his daughter and got out as soon as they smelled smoke.

Grenfell United send message after fire

10:00 , Daniel Keane

Grenfell United have sent their best wishes to those impacted by the fire in Dagenham.

The group, which represents survivors and bereaved families from the Grenfell Tower fire, tweeted: “Our thoughts are with all those impacted by the fire in Dagenham this morning, we hope all residents are safe and adequately cared for by the authorities 💚”.

The fire at Grenfell Tower on June 14, 2017 burned for 60 hours and caused the death of 72 people.

Injuries 'minimal' due to rapid LFB response, says MP

09:39 , Daniel Keane

Margaret Mullane, the Labour MP for Dagenham and Rainham, has said that injuries due to the fire are “minimal”.

She tweeted: “Terrible scenes in Dagenham this morning as @LondonFire tackle the blaze at Freshwater Rd. Thanks to their rapid response injury was minimal.

“I will be visiting the rescue centre today to see what help and support I can offer the residents and businesses who have lost everything.”

Work was underway to remove cladding from block before blaze

09:27 , Daniel Keane

Authorities were removing cladding from the tower block shortly before it was hit by a devastating fire, it has emerged.

Valcan, a leading company in architectural cladding systems, posted on Facebook last week that it was working to remove “non-compliant cladding” on the building.

A picture posted by the firm shows the fifth and sixth floor covered in scaffolding.

Cladding refers to an external layer attached to a building's main structure.

Campaigners have called for unsafe cladding to be removed from buildings since the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017.

What is a major incident?

09:21 , Daniel Keane

A major incident allows the LFB to ramp up resources to deal with a fire.

According to its website, the LFB set up a command unit when a major incident is declared.

An incident commander will create a plan for tackling the incident based on a number of factors, including the number of firefighters and potential hazards and risks.

In pictures: Firefighters work to douse blaze at tower block

09:03 , Daniel Keane

Rest centre set up near the scene

08:51 , Daniel Keane

A rest centre has been set up at Beacontree Heath leisure centre, Mr Goulbourne added.

“Officers with our partners are stationed there to help residents,” he said.

Mr Goulbourne also repeated the LFB’s plea for local residents to keep their windows and doors closed to avoid smoke.

LFB arrived on the scene within 5 minutes

08:50 , Daniel Keane

Patrick Goulbourne, incident commander and an Assistant Commissioner at the LFB, has given an update at the scene.

He said that officers arrived on the scene within 5 minutes of receiving the first call.

“A full simultaneous evacuation was carried out and a significant search and rescue operation is still underway.”

LFB to give update imminently

08:35 , Daniel Keane

The London Fire Brigade are expected to issue an update on the fire imminently.

We will have all the latest updates from their press conference here.

More than 200 firefighters remain at the scene.

LFB using drones to assess the scene

08:22 , Daniel Keane

The London Fire Brigade are using drones to assess the impact of the fire on the building.

London Fire Commissioner Andy Roe said the brigade was also using 64-metre turntable ladders and 32-metre turntable ladders to provide incident commanders with a “vantage point for assessing the scene”.

“The Brigade has stood up full strategic arrangements to deal with the incident and a rest centre has been set up at Beacontree Health and Leisure Centre. LFB officers are stationed at the rest centre to support residents,” he added.

Residents urged to keep windows closed due to smoke

08:11 , Daniel Keane

Local residents in Dagenham have been urged to keep their windows closed to avoid smoke.

Station Commander Alan Bendell, who is at the scene of the fire, said: "The fire is producing heavy smoke and we're advising local residents to keep windows and doors closed.

"Two of the Brigade's 32-metre turntable ladders are being used at the scene as aerial water towers to assist with tackling the fire from height.

"Freshwater Road is closed to traffic, so please avoid the area where possible.”

Major incident declared and major search operation underway

07:59 , Daniel Keane

The London Fire Brigade have declared a major incident this morning in response to the fire.

London Fire Commissioner Andy Roe said the move would allow the Brigade “to focus our resources on the incident”.

He said: "The building has a number of fire safety issues known to London Fire Brigade. A full simultaneous evacuation of the building was immediately carried out and a significant search and rescue operation is underway.

“The Brigade’s Control Officers have taken 16 calls to the fire, including successfully giving vital fire survival guidance to a number of people using our Fire Survival Guidance App, which allows information to be exchanged between Control and the incident ground in a timely, accurate and consistent manner.“

Video shows fire engulfing flats

07:52

Footage from the scene shows the extent of the blaze earlier this morning.

225 firefighters at the scene - four people treated by LAS

07:49 , Matt Watts

Fire crews from Dagenham, Ilford, Romford, Barking and surrounding fire stations are at the scene.

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

A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “We were called at 2.52am today (26 August) to reports of a fire on Freshwater Road in Dagenham.

“We sent a large number of resources to the scene, including ambulance crews, incident response officers, an advanced paramedic in critical care, emergency planning officers, a command support vehicle and members of our hazardous area response team (HART).

“We also dispatched London’s Air Ambulance.

“We treated four patients at the scene and took two of them to a hospital”.

People told to avoid the area

07:48 , Matt Watts

Station Commander Alan Bendell, who is on scene, said: “The fire is producing heavy smoke and we’re advising local residents to keep windows and doors closed.

“Two of the Brigade’s 32-metre turntable ladders are being used at the scene as aerial water towers to assist with tackling the fire from height.

“Freshwater Road is closed to traffic, so please avoid the area where possible.”