Ten fire engines and around 50 firefighters were called to a fire in a range of storage units under Tidal Basin Road, off Silvertown Way, in Canning Town last night.

Around half of the units, which are believed to be derelict, were affected by the fire.

Speaking from the scene Station Manager Peter Critchell said: “The pitch black conditions and lay out of the buildings made this a challenging incident for our crews but they have worked extremely hard to bring this fire under control.”

The Brigade was called at 6.41pm and the fire was under control just before 11pm.

Firefighters are likely to remain at the scene for some time damping down the deep seated pockets of fire that remain.

Crews from Silvertown, Poplar, Plaistow, Stratford, Bow and Barking fire stations are still at the scene this morning. The cause of the fire is not known at this stage and will be investigated.

Diversions have been set up in Tidal Basin Road, Canning Town and parts of Victoria Dock Road are closed, resulting in delays for motorists and bus passengers.