Firefighters battled a restaurant blaze in Barkingside High Street.
Half of the ground floor of the Subway sandwich shop was alight this morning, with the fire also affecting the flats above.
Thick black smoke was seen coming from the building and the road has been closed.
Six engines and 35 firefighters were called to scene at 8.05am, and had fire under control by 9.25am.
The cause of the fire is not known at this stage.
Jonathan Barco, 34, who lives above the shop said his wife and child were in the building at the time of the fire but made a “lucky” escape.
“I’m just relieved that my wife and child are okay – when I woke up this morning I did not think something like this was going to happen.”
The property consultant rushed home from work after his wife called “screaming down the phone” to tell him what was going on.
He added: “I’m just hoping the damage is not too bad – I’m thinking about structural damage and if it will be safe for us to be in there again.”
Hayley Broad, who works nearby, said: “It’s quite shocking, the smoke was really bad – the fire brigade were pretty quick.”
“I live across the road [in Horace Road] and I could smell something burning – I thought it was from my own house,” said Gomez Nyirenda.
“But I took the children to school and that’s when I realised what was going on.”
Sophie Singh, who couldn’t get to work, said: “I just saw a whole lot of smoke – when it’s right next to where you work, it’s scary.”
James Davies, of Horace Road, Barkingside, saw the smoke as he was walking to the Tube station.
He told the Recorder: “I left my house at about 8:15am this morning to the street full of smoke.
“I heard the fire engines and then as I got to the end of my street I saw a single fire engine had arrived at the Subway.
“A minute or so later after a second fire engine arrived.
“As I walked down Tanners Lane towards the tube station I could see the back of the property where the fire looked a lot worse - there were flames licking up the back of the property from the ground floor towards the first floor.”
Other commuters took to Twitter to post pictures and comments about the blaze.
Jaime Brown said: “What the hell has caught on fire in Barkingside?! Smoke EVERYWHERE”
The London Ambulance Service tweeted: “This morning we have assessed 4 patients for smoke inhalation.”
Station manager Steve Smith said: “One member of staff and a family who lived above the shop were evacuated before we arrived.”
He added: “The crews worked really hard to stop the fire spreading to the surrounding properties.”
There are bus diversion in place on the 128, 150, 167, 247 and 275.
Did you see the fire or take any pictures? Email ralph.blackburn@archant.co.uk
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