More suffering, sad news about the tower block fire in London

[Pete999]

Tower block fire in London, apparently there are many deaths, some saying the smoke/fire alarm didn't work, our thoughts are with the survivors and Family members of the Dead and injured.

 

[Bobster]

I found earlier this morning a report on how shoddy the wiring, fire system, space for emergency vehicles and escape routes were. This report told the housing company in no uncertain terms that this was exactly what was going to happen! I'll try and find a link to it again.

From the report it's likely to be an electrical fault that started it, the block had a £10m upgrade recently, wonder if they fit metal CU's? (Is it too early for a joke?)

 

[LankyWill]

I bet there's a few sparks booking plane tickets this morning.

 

[Specialist]

Not heard about this until now, yes our thoughts definitely go out to those involved & their families.
Too early to know exactly what happened, only a thoroughly open investigation will reveal that.
Only then can those responsible be held fully accountable.

 

[Pete999]

I bet there's a few sparks booking plane tickets this morning.

Plenty of Test and Inspection work around the corner I suspect.

 

[onions1066]

Well questions will be asked as to how a fire can spread like that in a newly refurbished block of flats. Serious lack of fire barriers and containment by the look of it. There will be some twitchy bums this morning from whoever did the refurbishment.

 

[Wilko]

A quick look at early footage suggests (to me) that whatever started it, it went straight up the facade of the building ... as if they've clad the building in a flammable material (?) . I hope I'm wrong, but polite words fail me.

I can't bare to watch any more knowing the pain and suffering this will have caused.

 

[westward10]

Whether an electrical fault or not fire should not spread through a block of flats like that. Something seriously amiss there.

 

[Octopus]

According to the news, a refurbishment doesn't have the latest fire regs applied, which seems more than a little odd. That said a house refurb doesn't have to have mains powered smoke alarms, but if it has a new CU it has to be metal!

 

[LankyWill]

I bet there's a few sparks booking plane tickets this morning.

 

[westward10]

It is the speed of fire spread which should not have happened in a block of flats, correctly constructed it should have been restricted. That was unbelievable it was almost like it was constructed of wood.

 

[Rpa07]

I bet there's a few sparks booking plane tickets this morning.

We heard you the first time - now where's my sombrero?

 

[Joshua]

I'm working in Hammersmith today and I can see the building from where I am.
I don't understand how something like this can happen when everything is centred around health and safety.

sadly, change only happens when something terrible like this happens.

 

[westward10]

A quick look at early footage suggests (to me) that whatever started it, it went straight up the facade of the building ... as if they've clad the building in a flammable material (?) . I hope I'm wrong, but polite words fail me.

I can't bare to watch any more knowing the pain and suffering this will have caused.

This is highly possible, if a fire occurs in one flat the rest of the block should be well protected by the containment of that flat though some surrounding dwellings may suffer damage. External cladding may well have aided its spread with people likely to have had open windows. People state they could smell plastic burning and I suspect this is what they could smell. I wouldn't mind seeing the findings of any FRA carried out on it.

 

[Andy78]

Absolutely tragic. I hope answers are found and prosecutions brought where appropriate. The families involved are going to need some explanation no matter how awful.

 

[westward10]

I do a lot of FRAs on various buildings but never a block of flats and if it were the cause I would seriously question whether I would have noted the external cladding, I will now.

 

[Gavin John Hyde]

Reports on skynews saying resident heard a faulty fridge caused it... Nothing confirned though...
The refurb clad the building in some sort of white plastic based cladding. Hence why it spread so quick.
Agree with others that there will be squeeky bums in many an office this morning. No doubt getting paperwork in order as we speak!

 

[westward10]

You can see from the footage the external cladding burning up the building and falling off. If this is the cause of the rapid spread because internally it should not have happened then some people are sitting very uneasy this morning.

 

[Specialist]

I think there are going to be a lot of people saying they heard it start either this way or that. Some of them just to make themselves feel more important, whether that be residents, neighbours or the press. At the end of the day no one will know what actually caused the fire or why it spread so fast, until the Police & Fire investigations have finished.

 

[Andy78]

Just been watching BBC and listening to some eyewitness reports. It seems accepted that the fire spread very rapidly up the exterior of the building beyond the control of the fire services already on scene dealing with the fire on the lower floors.

It also seems that the residents had an action group in place trying to get health and safety concerns addressed, fire safety being among them.

Council owned block but managed by a private company on their behalf.

 

[The Ghost]

Wow they have just about finished cladding all the high rises and maisonettes around where I work from. I wonder if they will have to take it all off now? Idiots! Where is the risk assessment?

 

[Gavin John Hyde]

There are a load of tower blocks in bristol around the barton and lawrence hill areas where the council were in process or about to clad in similar manner as this london tower. I wonder if they will stop and reconsider now? Or at least until they can determine what went wrong

 

[Specialist]

Fire has just taken hold again with flames bursting out of windows half way up the tower.

 

[Lou]

I cant believe this it is terrible!

People have lost everything including lives it is so sad. Any news on how it started yet?

 

[westward10]

A lot of speculation as to how it started and then spread so rapidly even the Fire Service have never seen such destruction to a block of flats.

 

[Devonchris]

Having seen the pictures, there's no doubt that the cladding is flammable. I'm sure someone will end up inside for this.

1 architect got the spec wrong

2 company supplied wrong material.

3 manufacturer cutting corners

Or 4 fire testing lab got it wrong.

One of them will end up inside.

 

[slingshot2000]

Having seen the pictures, there's no doubt that the cladding is flammable. I'm sure someone will end up inside for this.

1 architect got the spec wrong

2 company supplied wrong material.

3 manufacturer cutting corners

4 fire testing lab got it wrong.
Or
5 Unqualified installers cutting corners and/or using cheap fixings.


One of them will end up inside.

 

[davesparks]

I can't see how using the wrong fixings will change something from being fire retardant to highly flammable

 

[Marvo]

Just saw the footage now. Unbelievable!!

If that cladding was compliant with fire regs then the regs need changing. If it wasn't then people should go to jail for manslaughter. Either way that cladding should be removed from other buildings, I've never seen a fire in a first world building spread that far and that quickly.

My sympathies are with the residents involved.

 

[stevethesparks]

If it did start from a faulty fridge, I wonder if this would be one on a re-call list? It appears that some manufactures have no sense of urgency ensuring known faults are rectified asap. A bit like some car manufactures.

 

[LeeH]

Somebody's gong to jail for this.

 

[Specialist]

If it did start from a faulty fridge, I wonder if this would be one on a re-call list? It appears that some manufactures have no sense of urgency ensuring known faults are rectified asap. A bit like some car manufactures.

Unfortunately some customers have no sense of urgency when it comes to safety recalls either. There have been quite a few cases where people have carried on using appliances even after being warned not to by the manufacturers & paid the price for doing so.

 

[Specialist]

Somebody's gong to jail for this.

Let's hope so, but I'm not holding my breath.

 

[UKMeterman]

There have a also been reports in the past of "power surges" in the past, tripping out the water pumps and causing household equipment to emit smoke, and lights to go very bright and dim. I wonder if they had another broken neutral.

 

[Mr.Smith]

I remember quite a few fires in the "blocks of flats" near where I live when I was growing up. And you could see where the individual fire broke out.
It didn't matter which floor it was on because they are a concrete formed building and the fire was contained.
Now we "polish these turds" by attaching cladding to the sides which simply acts an external venting chimney for smoke , heat and fire as has been confirmed , so tragically , earlier today.
If we have to have fire guards and protection in between floors to prevent the spread of fire inside the building then why hasn't anyone had the foresight to see we need it externally also.
Our thoughts are with the families at this sad time but our eyes should be with the thousands of facilities and tower blocks that have been fitted with this fire trap.

 

[Deleted member 9648]

As always in this country everyones first thought is who ca

 

[Squid]

Sad, lived on Bramley Road for 10 years and used to walk past the Grenfell regularly.

 

[Pete999]

Inevitable really, just been watching the News, and some rabid Woman has stated that in Her opinion the fire was started as a revenge attack for the recent terror attacks in London, don't think the reporter picked up on it, but I'm sure someone will, all those poor people of all races and religions are hurting with the loss of loved ones, and this Woman has to come up with that rubbish, can't say what I really think of her, not on here anyway.

 

[Specialist]

Not seen that yet Pete, but totally agree with your sentiment.
Only wondered earlier how long it would take the crazies to come out of the darkness, makes my blood boil mate.

 

[Pete999]

Not seen that yet Pete, but totally agree with your sentiment.
Only wondered earlier how long it would take the crazies to come out of the darkness, makes my blood boil mate.

She was about 19/20.

 

[Andy78]

Inevitable really, just been watching the News, and some rabid Woman has stated that in Her opinion the fire was started as a revenge attack for the recent terror attacks in London, don't think the reporter picked up on it, but I'm sure someone will, all those poor people of all races and religions are hurting with the loss of loved ones, and this Woman has to come up with that rubbish, can't say what I really think of her, not on here anyway.

Conspiracy theories will pop up I'm sure, as they do in any major incident these days. Makes me mad too.

There was a young fella being interviewed who stated it could have been arson because of the huge disparity between the rich and poor in that area, a form of social cleansing.
From what i have seen of the safety issues with that building I think it highly unlikely to have been arson.

Neither of these opinions of arson had any basis in fact.

What I found sickening was to see reports of Britain first attempting to film an anti Muslim video outside a mosque that had opened its doors to help the victims of this tragedy. Absolutely disgusting.

 

[gazdkw82]

I seen an interview with a young man who has lived in the block of flats his entire life. He thinks it was started deliberately because the powers that be wanted the flats gone to make way for hi valued properly however but it was decided to refurb them instead.

I think he was basically saying it was sabotage in the interest of deconstruction.

He made a few good points, he said in all the time he has lived in the flats the lift has never worked and there was no investment in the basic needs of the occupants.

Does make you question some things.

 

[Andy78]

I seen an interview with a young man who has lived in the block of flats his entire life. He thinks it was started deliberately because the powers that be wanted the flats gone to make way for hi valued properly however but it was decided to refurb them instead.

I think he was basically saying it was sabotage in the interest of deconstruction.

He made a few good points, he said in all the time he has lived in the flats the lift has never worked and there was no investment in the basic needs of the occupants.

Does make you question some things.

I can believe in the failings and corruption of developers and councils for the sake of profit, but I can't quite stretch to believing mass murder.

 

[DPG]

I seen an interview with a young man who has lived in the block of flats his entire life. He thinks it was started deliberately because the powers that be wanted the flats gone to make way for hi valued properly however but it was decided to refurb them instead.

I think he was basically saying it was sabotage in the interest of deconstruction.

He made a few good points, he said in all the time he has lived in the flats the lift has never worked and there was no investment in the basic needs of the occupants.

Does make you question some things.

For flip's sake does anyone really believe that??!!

 

[gazdkw82]

maybe they didn't think it would ever get that bad!?

 

[DPG]

maybe they didn't think it would ever get that bad!?

In which case the fire damage to the flat with the fire would have been put right and it wouldn't have even made the news, let alone resulted in the building being destroyed/demolished!

 

[telectrix]

impossible to speculate till the Fire Service and Police have completed investigations. could be as simple as a chip pan fire. i was lucky with mine. . heat alarm in kitchen activated and i managed to put it out before it got serious.

 

[Lou]

I saw on the news it was possibly a faulty fridge that started it.

 

[Pete999]

impossible to speculate till the Fire Service and Police have completed investigations. could be as simple as a chip pan fire. i was lucky with mine. . heat alarm in kitchen activated and i managed to put it out before it got serious.

I agree Tel my gripe was the out and out hatred She came out with. I don't believe for one minute that it was arson either.

 

[westward10]

I think the gripes the residence association have been pressing about for years have little to do with the destruction which occurred no one could have anticipated that and it is easy to say we told you so. Blocks of flats are essentially concrete cells stacked up and make excellent fire compartments which is why the advice is to stay put in the event of a fire because historically the fire should be localised and contained. The weakness of any fire compartment is an opening such as doors and windows, doors which should have had some fire protection. The results of the investigation will be very interesting.