London Tower Block Inferno

[OwlHoot]

My first thought was some scrotes brewing up crystal meth in one of the flats causing a fire that rapidly spread out of control. But something related to the refurbishment does seem a far more likely explanation.

[SueEllen]

The councillor that was on TV this morning said that with the recent refurb it should have been the safest tower block in the area.

You'd hope that today's standards are vastly superior to what was used when these buildings were built in the 60s. I'm sure we'll find out in many months time. Combination of factors nobody thought was possible probably.

When I turned on the TV and saw a burning tower block I did immediately think it was another 9/11.

The Residents of Kensington and Chelsea complained before, during and after the refit that the building wasn't safe.

Having lived in loads of different buildings in my life only if you live in one do you find out how it is constructed. Builders etc make snap judgements as they presume all buildings in the UK in an area of a particular age are constructed exactly the same.

[SueEllen]

30 minutes ago fire fighters were on the 19th floor.

And it sounds like the fire went up the outside of the building.

[rich_e]

This is a terrible incident and my thoughts go out to all affected.

30 minutes ago fire fighters were on the 19th floor.

And it sounds like the fire went up the outside of the building.

That's the problem. The original building probably had concrete cladding which is incombustible, so in terms of advice any fire in the building would have been assumed to start in one of the flats. The flats should be capable of withstanding a fire inside for an hour, hence the advice for other residents to stay inside their flats (the fire service should have time to arrive and extinguish a fire in a single flat within one hour).

If the exterior cladding is combustible then the fire can rage up the outside of the building and enter the building via the windows. It is apparent that the expert advice has not been updated to take into account the risk created by changing the external cladding. The advice should have been 'get out as quickly as possible'.

Having worked with Architects the level of expertise in fire safety is very poor indeed. They were probably more interested in the colour of the panels!

[vetran]

30 minutes ago fire fighters were on the 19th floor.

And it sounds like the fire went up the outside of the building.

looks that way from the pictures the cladding definitely burnt.

[SueEllen]

6 people are dead - linky

This is the blog of the Grenfell Action Group - link

The warnings fell on deaf ears.

link

It is a truly terrifying thought but the Grenfell Action Group firmly believe that only a catastrophic event will expose the ineptitude and incompetence of our landlord, the KCTMO, and bring an end to the dangerous living conditions and neglect of health and safety legislation that they inflict upon their tenants and leaseholders. We believe that the KCTMO are an evil, unprincipled, mini-mafia who have no business to be charged with the responsibility of looking after the every day management of large scale social housing estates and that their sordid collusion with the RBKC Council is a recipe for a future major disaster.

[OwlHoot]

Having worked with Architects the level of expertise in fire safety is very poor indeed. They were probably more interested in the colour of the panels!

But in the Middle East there have been numerous flash fires caused by that blasted cladding. So it isn't as if this is the first time.

Also, according to a Daily Mail article today, the fire exit had been sealed and the building had only one entrance and one narrow staircase. Sounds just like the White Tower in the Tower of London when that was first built. But you'd think architects had learned something since Gundulf designed that back in the 1080s!

edit: Also, the article said there was nowhere for a long way round the building for fire engines to approach and access it.

[SueEllen]

The blog is disturbing.

In short if you are told to stay in a building in case of fire ask around before doing so

Anyone who witnessed the recent tower block fire at Shepherds Court, in nearby Shepherd’s Bush, will know that the advice to remain in our properties would have led to certain fatalities and we are calling on our landlord to re-consider the advice that they have so badly circulated.

[Mordac]

Truly shocking, and to read that the residents have been raising concerns for years makes it all the more harrowing.

[SueEllen]

The fire apparently started in a lower floor flat.

Listening to a firefighter on the radio.

As the firefighters were going up the narrow staircase in breathing apparatus they had people coming down without it. He doesn't know how they could breathe.

They had to run in the building under the police riot shields to escape the debris raining down on them.

A firefighter got hit by someone who jumped from the building. The firefighter is fine.

He has never seen a whole 24 storey building on fire before.