A house in Walthamstow has been left badly damaged after a fire broke out at a suspected cannabis factory in the early hours of this morning.
Firefighters were called to Knebworth Avenue at 2.52am today (August 22).
Twelve fire engines and around 80 firefighters tackled the blaze, which tore through most of the ground floor, half of the first floor, and part of the roof of the mid-terraced two-storey property.
Crews from Walthamstow, Chingford, Woodford, Leyton, Tottenham, Edmonton, Homerton, Stratford, Enfield and Holloway fire stations were among those sent to the scene.
The fire was brought under control by 4.51am.
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 cause of the fire is under investigation.
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