East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service (ESFRS) said almost 70 firefighters tackled the blaze. The fire happened just after 7am. Read also: Fire breaks out in St Leonards flats. An ESFRS spokesman said: “At the height of the incident, we had 14 appliances in attendance. “Crews used breathing apparatus and main jets to extinguish the fire. “Firefighters are currently inspecting the building and providing reassurance to all residents. Affected residents were evacuated. “A fire investigation will take place later on today. “We are being supported by Sussex Police and Secamb along with local authority and building management.” In a tweet this afternoon, Sussex Police announced that the London Road area of St Leonards with the junction of the A259 and Filsham Road was now fully reopen. A message from the Editor, Gary Shipton: In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news, I am asking you to please purchase a copy of our newspapers. With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspapers. Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis. Stay safe, and best wishes.