A commercial estate in east London has gone up in flames, with residents told to keep windows and doors shut.

The huge fire erupted at the building in Barking this afternoon, with smoke visible for miles around, including on the other side of the River Thames.

A chunk of the A13 has closed following the fire right next to it on Ripple Road – a main artery route to the M25, which closed yesterday due to a major fire – and Essex.

Around 100 firefighters rushed to the scene shortly before 1pm after emergency calls began to flood in from concerned residents.

A towering column of thick black smoke is billowing into the air.

The fire is said to be affecting a warehouse, according to Barking and Dagenham Council.

A resident on a nearby road behind the business park, who asked not to be named, told : ‘I heard the emergency sirens, so I went outside to see what was happening. I then saw a large amount of black smoke coming from the direction of the fire.’

She said it looks ‘quite serious’ and that she is ‘concerned about the smoke and also the impact the fire may have on nearby businesses and people.’

The woman feared the road closure will make it difficult for locals to get around, and that keeping windows shut in the hot weather will be ‘horrible.’

One resident in Woolwich near London City Airport said: ‘There is a large fire in Barking on an industrial site and the smoke is blowing in our direction so you might want to close windows to prevent smoke fumes getting in.’

Another person said: ‘Strong smell of smoke can be smelled in east London.’

London Fire Brigade said: ‘Fifteen fire engines and around 100 firefighters have been called to a fire on Ripple Road in Barking. 

A section of the A13 has been closed as crews carry out firefighting operations. Traffic will be heavily impacted as we work to bring the fire under control.

‘The fire is producing a large amount of smoke. Where possible, residents in the local area should keep doors and windows closed. 

‘The Brigade’s Control Office took the first of 15 calls at 1247 and mobilised crews from Barking, Dagenham, Ilford and other surrounding fire stations to the scene. 

‘The cause is not known at this stage.’

Closure of the major road could cause a nightmare commute for motorists heading home amid the heatwave.

The Ripple Road industrial park features several businesses like self-storage, Screwfix, a textiles warehouse, a lemonade firm and a DHL Express Service.

A spokesperson for the London Ambulance Service said they were alerted at about 1pm to a fire on Maybells Commercial Estate.

An ambulance and a crew were sent to the scene along with other emergency services, where ‘fortunately there were no patients,’ they said.

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