Twenty fire engines and about 125 firefighters were called to a railway embankment fire near Vallentin Road in Walthamstow, east London, on [date]. The blaze affected one house, multiple gardens and sheds, and the railway embankment, according to the London fire brigade (LFB). No injuries were reported.
Evacuations and response
Residents were evacuated from their homes as the fire produced a significant amount of smoke. The LFB advised people in the area to close their windows and doors, while motorists were urged to avoid the area, including Wood Street. The Weaver Overground line was partly closed due to the incident.
Fire crews from Tottenham, Bethnal Green, Walthamstow, Chingford, and surrounding fire stations were mobilized. A 32-metre turntable ladder was deployed as a water tower to extinguish flames from above, and the brigade’s drone team also attended the scene.
Cause and impact
The incident was due to an electrical fire caused by a fallen tree, the Guardian understands. LFB assistant commissioner Tom Goodall stated: “We deployed a significant amount of resources to this fire and firefighters worked in hot and arduous conditions to bring it under control as swiftly as possible. One house was alight, and a second home has suffered damage to a rear extension. The gardens of around 30 properties have also unfortunately been affected by the fire. However, crews worked extremely hard to prevent the fire from spreading to further homes. A railway embankment was also alight and this has caused disruption to the Weaver London Overground line … The brigade will retain a significant presence on the scene through the night, working to fully extinguish the fire.”
The LFB received the first of more than 100 calls at 6.27pm. Control officers mobilized crews from multiple stations to the scene.
Community support
Local MP Stella Creasy posted a video from the scene on Instagram, urging people to avoid the Wood Street area and support evacuated families. She said: “Please avoid the Wood Street area. We need to be able to support the families who are being evacuated. If you can help with refreshments please go to St Mary’s Welcome Centre, the team there would appreciate any offers of food and water.” In a subsequent video, Creasy confirmed that most evacuated residents in surrounding roads could return to their homes. A rest centre was set up at Walthamstow Central library for affected people, in partnership with Waltham Forest council.
