A major fire that spread through homes, gardens and a railway embankment in Walthamstow has been brought under control following a large-scale response involving 125 firefighters. Twenty fire engines and around 125 firefighters were called to the blaze near Vallentin Road and Shernhall Street on Sunday evening after flames rapidly spread through a railway embankment before affecting nearby residential properties. The London Fire Brigade confirmed the fire involved one house, around 30 gardens, numerous sheds and the railway embankment.
Residents evacuated
Assistant Commissioner Tom Goodall, who was at the scene, said:
“This was a significant incident affecting the community this evening. I am thankful that no injuries have been sustained.
“We have worked with the local authority and our other partners to set up two rest centres for residents who have been evacuated from their homes. They are all being supported at this time and we are hopeful that the majority of them will be able to return home tonight.”
He added that firefighters worked in hot and arduous conditions to prevent the fire spreading further.
“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.”
Railway disruption
The fire also spread onto a railway embankment, causing significant disruption to the Weaver London Overground line. Fire crews worked alongside Transport for London and the British Transport Police to safely evacuate passengers from trains stopped by the incident. Disruption to Overground services is expected to continue into Monday morning.
Large emergency response
The London Fire Brigade received around 120 emergency calls, prompting the temporary activation of Operation Willow Beck—a national contingency plan introduced to divert surplus 999 calls to unaffected fire control rooms during periods of exceptionally high demand. The Brigade received its first emergency call at 6.27pm, with crews from Tottenham, Bethnal Green, Walthamstow, Chingford and neighbouring stations quickly mobilised. The fire was declared under control at 10.35pm.
Specialist resources deployed
A 32-metre turntable ladder remains at the scene, operating as a water tower to extinguish remaining hotspots from above. The Brigade’s drone team also assisted incident commanders by providing aerial imagery throughout the operation. Firefighters additionally cooled 10 gas cylinders to a safe temperature after they were exposed to intense heat, reducing the risk of explosion.
Roads remain closed
Motorists are still being advised to avoid the area while emergency services continue to damp down the scene. Road closures remain in place around:
- Wood Street
- Shernhall Street
- Vallentin Road
- Surrounding local roads
The cause of the fire is currently under investigation. There have been no reports of any injuries.
