Fire in Forest Road in Ilford has been raging for more than seven hours

Around 80 firefighters and 12 fire engines were dispatched to Forest Road in Ilford just before 2am this morning (September 19).

London Fire Brigade confirmed that crews were still at the scene at 9:30 a.m., more than seven hours later.

A “small part” of the ground floor of the two-story commercial building is still on fire.

LIVE UPDATES: Fire has been burning for more than eight hours and blocks road

Crews from Hainault, Romford, Dagenham, Woodford and surrounding fire stations are assisting with the firefighting.

According to AA Maps, Forest Road is closed in both directions between the Fairlop Waters roundabout and Hainault Road.

Huge 64-metre and 32-metre turntable ladders are used to fight fires and supply water from heights.

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The London Fire Brigade also said its commanders had answered six calls and used an app to access live stream footage from smartphone cameras on site to get a “better overview of the situation”.

A London Fire Brigade spokesman said: “When the fire service receives an emergency call, the caller may be asked if they would like to provide a live video stream of the scene using their smartphone.”

“The control officer sends a text message with a secure, one-time-use link that opens a live stream directly from the phone to the control room.”

The cause of the fire is not yet known and firefighters have asked people to avoid the Forest Road area while they respond to the incident.