A HUGE fire has broken out at a suspected cannabis factory in a two-storey house.
Around 80 firefighters and 12 fire engines rushed to the home in Walthamstow, east London, after calls were placed about the devastating blaze shortly before 3am today.
X/London Fire BrigadeAround 80 firefighters and 12 fire engines were deployed to tackle the blaze early this morning[/caption]
London Fire Brigade said the property was a “suspected cannabis factory” and that most of its ground floor, half of the first floor and half of the roof had been destroyed by the inferno.
Fire crews were deployed from Walthamstow, Chingford, Woodford, Leyton, Tottenham, Edmonton, Homerton, Stratford, Enfield and Holloway fire stations.
A London Fire Brigade (LFB) 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 fire at the mid-terraced property was brought under control by 4.51am and its cause is now under investigation, LFB said.
X/London Fire BrigadeThe fire is now under control, LFB has said[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
