Six fire engines and around 40 firefighters tackled a fire at a mid-terraced house being used as a cannabis factory on Riverdale Road in Erith.
Most of the roof was damaged and the first floor was destroyed by the fire. A small part of the roof of a neighbouring mid-terraced house was also damaged by the fire. Thankfully, there are no reports of any injuries.
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."
Firefighters used one of the Brigade's 32-metre turntable ladders to tackle the fire from above.
The Brigade was called at 1627 and the fire was under control by 1829. Firefighters from Erith, Bexley and Plumstead fire stations attended the scene.
Source: LFB (21/02/2024)
