A woman displaced from her home in Dagenham following a devastating fire at a block of flats has voiced her fears about becoming homeless. 

Katarzyna Barwinska was just one of more than 80 people evacuated from the Spectrum Building in Freshwater Road after it caught fire on August 26. 

More than 200 firefighters were dispatched to the scene of the blaze which took over eight hours to extinguish. 

Remedial works were underway to remove and replace "non-compliant cladding" on the fifth and sixth floors of the building, according to a planning application document. 

The entire building has been damaged in the fireThe entire building has been damaged in the fire (Image: Darren Sidey) The London Fire Brigade confirmed it was aware of "known fire safety issues" prior to the fire. 

Katarzyna told BBC Newsnight on September 6 that her dog alerted her to the fire. 

She said: “When the dog woke up us we didn't know it was a fire because there was no alarm, so I’m saying to my husband something has happened, something has happened, so when we are going outside it’s just like smoke in the corridor."

She said her family might not have survived if it were not for their dog.

She described her struggle to exit the burning building because of "a padlock outside in the gate", before police officers intervened to help out. 

Her husband, an electrician by trade, is reportedly unable to work since his equipment was damaged in the fire. 

Around 225 firefighters attended to tackle the building fireAround 225 firefighters attended to tackle the building fire (Image: Darren Sidey) She told the BBC: “This is like stress for us. I’m just worried what happens next Monday.

“What I need now is I need to know if the government can give me a place to stay.

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“I don’t care about stuff… but I need to know where I’m staying for next week.”

Victims of the fire have been temporarily housed in hotels, with Barking and Dagenham Council confirming some bookings are to come to an end today (September 9). 

Katarzyna herself is currently being housed in a hotel. 

The council told the BBC that it will be renewing bookings for those in need of emergency accommodation.