A fire which damaged a Dagenham church is believed to have been started by a candle.
Firefighters were called to Church Elm Lane at 10.12am on Sunday.
Eight people evacuated the building before the fire brigade arrived.
Nobody was injured, but around a third of the first floor and part of the second floor was damaged by the blaze.
A London Fire Brigade spokesman said: “This fire shows how important it is to have a smoke alarm and to test it regularly.
Smoke alarms provide vital early warning and extra time to escape if there is a fire.
“It’s also very important to put candles out when you leave the room and that they are placed in a suitable fire resistant candleholder.”
Six fire engines and 35 firefighters from Barking, Dagenham, East Ham and Wennington stations attended the fire, which was under control by 12.23pm.
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