Discarded bottle believed to have sparked major Hackney blaze that halted Overground

A discarded glass bottle is believed to have started the substantial fire that tore through properties near Hackney Central on Sunday 24 May, after sunlight focused through the glass ignited dried vegetation on a railway embankment.

Fire behind #hackneydowns #hackney pic.twitter.com/pfVY8wXk7c

— Mis (@mi5dreavus) May 24, 2026

Video: X/@mi5dreavus

The blaze on Cottrill Gardens prompted a large-scale response from the London Fire Brigade and brought significant disruption to Overground services across the borough and beyond.

The LFB began receiving calls about the fire at 6.10pm, with 60 firefighters and eight fire engines swiftly mobilised to the scene. Crews were drawn from Homerton, Leyton and Whitechapel fire stations, along with others from the surrounding area.

Nine people managed to leave the two affected properties before firefighters arrived, and no injuries have been reported.

The brigade has confirmed that two mid-terraced houses, a garage, three sheds and a stretch of fencing were caught up in the fire. A caravan and two scrap cars were also damaged, along with the 25-metre grass embankment running alongside the train line where the fire is believed to have begun.

The proximity to the railway brought the blaze squarely into the lives of commuters and weekend travellers across east and north London. The Mildmay line bore the brunt of the disruption, with no service running between Stratford and Gospel Oak, while the Weaver line suffered severe delays. Neither line returned to normal running until late that evening.

Firefighters brought the blaze under control at 8.42pm.

Station Commander Wayne Bloomfield, who attended the scene, said crews had worked hard in hot weather to tackle the fire.