Flames ripped through a Hornchurch restaurant on Saturday night, destroying much of the interior and resulting in the rescue of two cats.
Firefighters were called to Hornchurch Charcoal Grill, Station Road, at about 9.30pm.
Two engines were sent but no one was seriously injured.
A firefighter at the scene said the blaze began in a ventilation shaft above the grill.
“It spread up through the house, up into the second floor,” he said.
“It destroyed half the staircase. We were there for about three and a half hours.
“We had to rescue a couple of cats from adjacent flats.”
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