Six fire engines and around 40 firefighters tackled a fire at a suspected cannabis factory on Walpole Road in South Woodford

The loft conversion of a mid-terraced house was destroyed by fire. Eight
people left adjacent properties before the Brigade arrived. There were no
reports of any injuries.
A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: “Cannabis factory fires can be
particularly dangerous because of the way criminals use unsafe wiring to
illegally obtain electricity in order to grow the plants.
They’re often in top floors or lofts which means when a fire takes hold it
spreads, destroying roofs and damaging neighbouring buildings.
Firefighters can also be exposed to risks when dealing with the fires
because of bad wiring and traps at some of the properties.
“It’s important that people know the key signs and inform the police so
that they can act swiftly to prevent these dangerous fires from happening.”
The Brigade was called at 5.28am and the fire was under control by 7.17am.
Fire crews from Walthamstow, Chingford, Leyton, Leytonstone and surrounding
fire stations attended the scene.
The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Brigade and the
Metropolitan Police Service.