Leytonstone fire: Firefighters tackle blaze at London Overground railway arches

 
More than 70 firefighters tackled the blaze (Pictures: Amie Keeley/Rekindled Boutique)
Amie Keeley/Rekindled Boutique
Sebastian Mann1 July 2015

Plumes of smoke were this evening visible for miles around after a large fire was sparked beneath London Overground railway arches.

Trains between Gospel Oak and Barking were cancelled because of the blaze, which the London Fire Brigade said possibly involved gas cyclinders, and some 100 people were evacuated from the surrounding area.

More than 70 firefighters were called to the fire at a range of workshops under railway arches on Montague Road, near Leytonstone High Road station, shortly before 6pm.

On Twitter, users posted pictures showing large columns of smoke visible from miles away.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Massive fire in <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Leytonstone?src=hash" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-13916-https://twitter.com/hashtag/Leytonstone?src=hash" data-vars-event-id="c23">#Leytonstone</a>. Go <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/firefighters?src=hash" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-13916-https://twitter.com/hashtag/firefighters?src=hash" data-vars-event-id="c23">#firefighters</a> Go! ❤️ <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?mid=9&amp;id=222025&amp;p=http://t.co/MQcV4LLEK1" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-13916-http://t.co/MQcV4LLEK1" data-vars-event-id="c23">pic.twitter.com/MQcV4LLEK1</a>— Kentaké (@MsKentake) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/MsKentake/status/616297847856734208" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-13916-https://twitter.com/MsKentake/status/616297847856734208" data-vars-event-id="c23">July 1, 2015</a>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Something in Leyton couldn’t be doing with this heat <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?mid=9&amp;id=222025&amp;p=http://t.co/nAkqeSb7A3" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-13916-http://t.co/nAkqeSb7A3" data-vars-event-id="c23">pic.twitter.com/nAkqeSb7A3</a>— Jamie Rathbone (@_jraff) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/_jraff/status/616297189246115841" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-13916-https://twitter.com/_jraff/status/616297189246115841" data-vars-event-id="c23">July 1, 2015</a>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Leyton, something is burning!!! <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?mid=9&amp;id=222025&amp;p=http://t.co/latkHw7Vby" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-13916-http://t.co/latkHw7Vby" data-vars-event-id="c23">pic.twitter.com/latkHw7Vby</a>— Leyton Village (@LeytonVillage) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/LeytonVillage/status/616296836865900544" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-13916-https://twitter.com/LeytonVillage/status/616296836865900544" data-vars-event-id="c23">July 1, 2015</a>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Something's on fire in Leyton... <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?mid=9&amp;id=222025&amp;p=http://t.co/iz5PRnyMwV" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-13916-http://t.co/iz5PRnyMwV" data-vars-event-id="c23">pic.twitter.com/iz5PRnyMwV</a>— Maltease81 (@Maltease81) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/Maltease81/status/616295882640728064" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-13916-https://twitter.com/Maltease81/status/616295882640728064" data-vars-event-id="c23">July 1, 2015</a>

Journalist Amie Keeley, 31, said her journey home from work had been disrupted by the fire.

"We could see huge black clouds of smoke coming from the Leyton area, and they seemed to get bigger and bigger," she said.

"We were waiting at Wanstead Park Station and told trains were cancelled because of a fire on the tracks in Leyton.

"Now I'm on a bus near Wanstead flats and can see some flames."

Transport for London warned: "No service South Tottenham to Barking while we respond to a fire alert in the Leytonstone High Road area."

Station Manager Paul Hobbs, who was at the scene as firefighters battled the blaze, said: “Crews are working extremely hard in what are incredibly challenging conditions on the hottest day of the year so far.

"This is a large fire and it is producing a lot of smoke. We would advise all people living nearby to stay inside and keep doors and windows closed as a precaution.”

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