Terrified eye witnesses told how they heard people screaming “help help” as flames raged through an east London flat block in the early hours of this morning. The sky above Bethnal Green’s Bradbeer House was filled with thick, black smoke after the fire took hold just before midnight last night.
Horrified bystanders watched as the bright orange flames lit up the night sky and acrid smoke billowed into the air. Sayful Islam, 35, who lives opposite the building, said he was stunned by the “sheer ferocity” of the fire. He went from door to door to wake his neighbours to alert them to the blaze. Sayful, a data scientist, lives in the block opposite – just five metres away.
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He told The Mirror: “I heard people screaming. I’m on the third floor and went upstairs to the fourth and knocked on all my neighbours’ doors. I did the same on the other floors – I just wanted to make sure everyone got out. When I got outside and saw the fire I couldn’t believe the ferocity and intensity of the flames.
“At first I had thought that a bucket of water might be enough to put it out but soon it became clear it would take much more than that. There were women screaming and children outside at midnight in shorts.
“I gave one youngster my coat. I managed to call 999 but I know others did the same. I know the guy where the fire started – we always said hello and nodded at each other. I’m so relieved no-one was killed. It was terrifying.”
Early reports suggest the fire started after an electric bike caught alight, potentially while charging, investigators have said. But LFB have stated it is too early to determine the cause. A spokesperson for the brigade told the Mirror: “I know some outlets have said that, our investigation into the fire is still ongoing. But we’re not in a position to confirm as our fire investigators still at the scene trying to determine the cause.”
Tower Hamlets Council said a rest centre had been established to provide immediate support for residents. A spokesperson said: “Vulnerable residents received dedicated care, and alternative accommodation, including hotel placements, was arranged for those who were displaced”.
Young children were seen gripping their parents’ hands tightly amid the pandemonium unfolding outside in footage of the terrifying incident shared on Facebook. The London Fire Brigade sent 60 firefighters to the scene from several local stations, including Bethnal Green, Poplar, Shadwell and Shoreditch.
The brave firefighters wore specialist breathing apparatus and used fire escape hoods to drag seven people from the burning building. London’s firefighters pioneered the use of fire escape hoods in the UK after they were introduced following the Grenfell Tower fire. They can be placed over a conscious or unconscious person, and protect them from four of the main fire gases for 15 minutes.
Thankfully, there were no fatalities. The London Ambulance Service said 17 people needed treatment at the scene while another needed hospital treatment. Crews are said to have had brought the fire under their control by around 1am.
Daniel Campiao, 35, a geographer from Portugal has lived in London for eight years. He lives next door to the burnt out building. He told The Mirror : “I was in my room last night when I suddenly smelled smoke.
“I thought there may have been a fire inside my building but when I leant out of my window I could see the smoke outside. At one stage I could hear people shouting. The fire engines arrived and they were here all night. I’m just relieved no-one died.”
Another local resident, who asked not to be named, was standing outside the Bangabandhu Primary school on Braintree Street. She said: “It was pretty terrifying for a while. The flames were mainly coming from a first floor flat. There were huge plumes of black smoke – and there was a really acrid smell.
“The fire engines arrived pretty quickly and it took them over an hour to put the fire out. There were a lot of people on the street watching. Someone said it started through the battery of one of those electric bikes but I don’t know if that’s true.”
This morning, The Mirror’s reporter on the scene reported a strong stench of smoke and saw the residents’ charred belongings littering the street outside the housing complex. Among them were children’s toys, bicycle parts and a chest of drawers.
A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: “Eight fire engines and around 60 firefighters tackled a flat fire on Cornwall Avenue in Bethnal Green. Part of three flats on the ground, first and second floors of the residential block were damaged by fire.
“Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus used fire escape hoods to rescue seven people from the building. 17 people were treated on scene by London Ambulance Service crews and 11 of those people were taken to hospital.
“The Brigade’s Control Officers took 36 calls to the fire and gave vital fire survival guidance to three residents on how to stay safe before firefighters arrived.
“The Brigade was called at 2338 and the fire was under control by 0105. Fire crews from Shadwell, Shoreditch, Bethnal Green, Poplar and surrounding fire stations attended the scene. The cause of the fire is under investigation.”
A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “We were called at 11.38pm yesterday (9 April) to reports of a fire in Cornwall Avenue, Bethnal Green. We sent a number of resources to the scene including ambulance crews, advanced paramedics and members of our Hazardous Area Response Team.
“We treated 17 patients in total. We took 11 patients to hospital and six patients were cared for and discharged at the scene.”
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