Twelve fire engines and around 80 firefighters battled a major grass fire in Rainham on Thursday afternoon.
The London Fire Brigade said approximately ten hectares of grass and shrubland were alight.
The Brigade was called at 2:51pm, with its Control Office dispatching crews from Wennington, East Ham, Leytonstone, Hainault, and other nearby stations to the scene on Rainham Road.
The cause of the fire is not yet known, and crews remained at the site into the evening working to bring the blaze under control.
The fire was under control by 6.21pm but firefighters remained at the scen edampening down the surrounding grassland.
Melisa Kahrimanovic, a designer at nearby Benchmarx Kitchens, said: “It’s huge. We just walked out and there was grey smoke filling the air. None of us got too close.”
A wildfire response vehicle was deployed at the incident. These vehicles provide off-road capability enabling the transportation of additional equipment closer to fires on open ground. Each vehicle carries approximately 475 litres of water, a backpack blower, ear defenders, beaters and misting lance technology, which allows firefighters to pump water and drive, enabling them to tackle grass fires more quickly and safely.
The Brigade is currently trialling four wildfire response vehicles across the capital.
It is the second wildfire to hit Rainham this week as temperatures continue to climb in the capital, which has seen low levels of rain this year.
On Wednesday, six fire engines and around 40 firefighters attended a grass fire on Lambs Lane North. That blaze affected around nine hectares of scrubland.
Firefighters implemented a water relay system during that incident, positioning appliances between the fire and the nearest hydrant, connecting them by hose to ensure a constant water supply.
There were no reports of any injuries.
The Brigade was called at 4:11pm and Control Officers mobilised crews from Dagenham, Wennington, Hornchurch and Harold Hill fire stations. Essex County Fire & Rescue Service also attended. The fire was brought under control by 5:31pm.
