Shadwell fire: Man rescued from block of flats as builders' yard blaze spreads to London homes

Almost 100 firefighters were sent to tackle the blaze in Shadwell

A man has been rescued from a fire at a builders’ yard in East London that spread to a block of flats.

Almost 100 firefighters took more than four hours to bring the blaze in Shadwell under control on Wednesday.

It started at a builders’ yard before engulfing the site and spreading to a nearby block of apartments.

A fire at a builders' yard in Wapping viewed from central London on 18 May 2016 (Ian Blackshire)

Smoke could be seen for miles around as it continued to burn, with footage showing flames leaping more than two stories into the air.

A spokesperson for the London Fire Brigade said the whole yard, including a van, building materials, several gas cylinders and two shipping containers containing furniture were badly damaged.

“The fire has spread to an adjacent block of flats of six floors,” he added.

“Part of the ground and first floor were damaged by the blaze. A man was rescued from the fifth floor and 12 people evacuated the remaining flats.”

The fire at a Wapping builders' yard viewed from Canary Wharf on 18 May 2016 (Steven Phillips)

More than 30 people dialled 999 to report the incident on Brodlove Lane and authorities said smoke could be seen for several miles around.

The London Fire Brigade was first contacted at 11.41am and said the fire was under control by shortly before 4pm.

The cause was not immediately known and an investigation is underway.

A spokesperson for the London Ambulance Service said paramedics were on standby but had not received reports of any injuries.