Part of the ground floor of end-of-terrace dry cleaners and office building was damaged by fire. There were no reports of any injuries. The fire is believed to have been caused by the laundry that was self-heated. A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: “These types of fires often involve textiles that become contaminated with oil, most commonly linseed, massage and cooking oil on tea towels, tablecloths and chef whites. “Sometimes when materials are cleaned, put in tumble dryers and then folded and stacked, the heat from the tumble drying cannot escape. This can result in a high enough temperature allowing it to build up to a point where it smoulders and eventually ignites. “If you are washing and then drying on a hot cycle, always use the cooling cycle on the tumble dryer so it cools down and allow the heat to dissipate properly, before stacking laundered items together.” The Brigade was called at 11.45pm and the fire was under control by 12.45am. Fire crews from Bethnal Green, Shoreditch, Whitechapel and Shadwell fire stations attended the scene.
