A man has been taken to hospital after a tenth floor flat at the top of a Woodford Green tower block, was destroyed by a fire on Saturday.

Ilford Recorder: Two people suffered smoke inhalation as a result of the fire. Picture posted to iwitness24 by Chris Chilton.Two people suffered smoke inhalation as a result of the fire. Picture posted to iwitness24 by Chris Chilton.

Eighty-one firefighters from across east London tackled the blaze which damaged three separate flats in Liston Way, on the Orchard Estate, a London Fire Brigade spokesman said.

A man and a woman both suffered smoke inhalation, with the man being taken to hospital.

Remarkably, no one else appears to have been hurt.

Fire crews were called at 10.53am and the blaze was under control by just before 1pm.

Firefighters from Woodford, Walthamstow, Dagenham, Plaistow, Leyton, Leytonstone, Edmonton, Enfield, and Tottenham were called to the scene.

Station manager, Frazer Ferguson, who was at the scene, said: “Crews worked hard in challenging conditions and managed to bring the fire under control. Seventy people left the block before firefighters arrived and one man was treated for smoke inhalation.”

A picture by iwitness24 user Chris Chilton shows the flat, at the far end of the tenth floor, on fire with thick black smoke pouring out.

There also appears to be scaffolding by the side of the flat.

Jason Davis was among the nine MET special constables that were deployed to support the evacuation of the area, and to put road blocks in place at key junctions.

The team were praised by senior command officers for their support and determination after they managed to continue to run part of their traffic operation on the same day.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Did you see the fire? Call 0208 477 3800, or email newsdesk@ilfordrecorder.co.uk.