Residents have been evacuated from their homes after a fire at a railway embankment in east London.

Twenty fire engines and about 125 firefighters were called to the incident near Vallentin Road in Walthamstow.

The London fire brigade (LFB) said the fire affected one house, multiple gardens and sheds, as well as the railway embankment. No injuries were reported.

The incident was due to an electrical fire caused by a fallen tree, the Guardian understands.

The LFB said the blaze was producing a “significant amount of smoke” and people in the area were advised to close their windows and doors, while motorists have been urged to avoid the area, including Wood Street.

The Weaver Overground line has been partly closed.

A 32-metre turntable ladder was also in attendance and has been deployed as a water tower to help extinguish the flames from above, while the brigade’s drone team were also at the scene.

The LFB assistant commissioner, Tom Goodall, said: “We deployed a significant amount of resources to this fire and firefighters worked in hot and arduous conditions to bring it under control as swiftly as possible.

“One house was alight, and a second home has suffered damage to a rear extension. The gardens of around 30 properties have also unfortunately been affected by the fire. However, crews worked extremely hard to prevent the fire from spreading to further homes.

“A railway embankment was also alight and this has caused disruption to the Weaver London Overground line… The brigade will retain a significant presence on the scene through the night, working to fully extinguish the fire.”

The LFB said it received the first of more than 100 calls at 6.27pm and control officers have mobilised crews from Tottenham, Bethnal Green, Walthamstow, Chingford and surrounding fire stations to the scene.

Stella Creasy, the local MP, posted a video from the scene on Instagram.

She said: “Please avoid the Wood Street area. We need to be able to support the families who are being evacuated.

“If you can help with refreshments please go to St Mary’s Welcome Centre, the team there would appreciate any offers of food and water.”

In a subsequent video, Creasy said most of the evacuated residents in surrounding roads can return to their homes.

Another rest centre has been set up at Walthamstow Central library for people affected in partnership with Waltham Forest council.