16 replies to this topic

[sebberry]

Poor England can't catch a break these days

 

A huge fire has engulfed a tower block in Latimer Road, west London, with eyewitnesses claiming people are trapped in their homes.

 

The fire at Grenfell Tower on the Lancaster West Estate was reported at 01:16 BST and about 200 firefighters are tackling the blaze.

The Met Police said people were being treated for "a range of injuries".

The BBC's Andy Moore said the whole tower block was alight and there are fears the building might collapse.

 

[...]

 

http://www.bbc.com/n...london-40269625

[Rob Randall]

There have been fire fears for years.

2013:

It just so happens that one of our members chaired the EMB Property Management Committee in 2004 when that committee received information that the Grenfell Tower emergency lighting system was in very poor condition. Two thirds of the battery packs were completely dead, and the entire system would have failed in an emergency. The committee then fought a protracted battle with the TMO for more than a year, during which time the TMO repeatedly denied that there was a problem, or any negligence with regard to inspection and testing of the system. Eventually the EMB committee succeeded in badgering the TMO into ordering an independent investigation. This was conducted by Peter West of Capita Symonds. His report, when it was published in May 2005, was a shocking indictement of TMO mal-administration and failure of oversight, and of the electrical contractors whose duty it had been to inspect and test the Lancaster West emergency lighting system.

https://grenfellacti...safety-scandal/

https://grenfellacti...ll-a-fire-risk/

Edited by Rob Randall, 13 June 2017 - 08:56 PM.

[sebberry]

And a twitter post today with a recording of a resident phoning into a radio station claiming the fire alarms weren't working.  He was woken up by the screams of people yelling "don't jump".

[Rob Randall]

Apparently the building has a stay put fire policy--don't leave your suite unless you are in imminent danger.

[sebberry]

I don't know if that's a policy, per se, but it's advice that was given out.

[sebberry]

The first indication of the terrible human cost was announced shortly after midday. The Metropolitan police confirmed six fatalities but stressed “these are very early stages and we do expect that figure to rise”. In addition, 74 people were being treated in London hospitals, 20 of them said to be in critical care.

https://www.theguard...saster-unfolded

[VicHockeyFan]

12 now.

[Jables]

A woman dropped her baby from the 10th floor, which was then caught by a member of the public.

[nerka]

How is a fire like this even possible in a modern high-rise?

 

Assuming British building standards are similar to ours the idea in a concrete highrise is that fires should be contained within one unit not jumping from unit to unit and engulfing the whole building.

[Nparker]

How is a fire like this even possible in a modern high-rise?...

That's what I keep wondering as well. Surely code must have required some sort of fire suppression system?

[Baro]

How is a fire like this even possible in a modern high-rise?

 

Assuming British building standards are similar to ours the idea in a concrete highrise is that fires should be contained within one unit not jumping from unit to unit and engulfing the whole building.

British building standards are really low, especially when it's "affordable housing" towers.  British construction, specially electrical matters, are terrifying. 

[Rob Randall]

Everything surrounds a central core. If there's a fire there's no alternate escape. 

 

[lanforod]

Isn't that how most high rises are built these days, though?

[VicHockeyFan]

Isn't that how most high rises are built these days, though?

 

The stairwells are often back to back, but they have significant fire-block between the two..

[Mike K.]

How is a fire like this even possible in a modern high-rise?

 

Assuming British building standards are similar to ours the idea in a concrete highrise is that fires should be contained within one unit not jumping from unit to unit and engulfing the whole building.

 

The building was built in 1974. The maintenance and fire suppression technology within the building was actually poorly maintained even in recent years following a building upgrade. In some cases it was simply not maintained. The rest is history.

[Rob Randall]

Earlier this Spring we were surprised to see the remains of the tower as we drove into central London. I didn't realize it was in such a high profile location being so close to one of the main routes into the city.

 

[Rob Randall]

Combustible cladding on London's Grenfell Tower key to deadly fire: inquiry
Criminal probe into deadly highrise fire ongoing
Thomson Reuters · Posted: Oct 30, 2019 7:51 AM ET 

 

Having broken out late at night in a fourth-floor flat because of an electrical fault in a refrigerator, the fire spread to the outside of the building and raced up its facade, which had been fitted with a type of aluminum composite material cladding during a refurbishment completed in 2016.

 

Within 17 minutes of the first call to emergency services by the tenant of the flat, the fire had reached the 22nd floor, and six minutes after that it had reached the roof. From there, it engulfed the whole tower, reducing it to a charred ruin by morning.

 

Moore-Bick said there was compelling evidence the external walls did not comply with building regulations. The cladding and accompanying insulation material were combustible, and there were vertical cavities that acted as chimneys for the fire to rise.

 

"They (the external walls) did not adequately resist the spread of fire having regard to the height, use and position of the building. On the contrary, they actively promoted it," he wrote.

 

He did not apportion blame for the decision to use the materials in the refurbishment, but said the issue would be at the heart of the second phase of his inquiry, which is already under way and is expected to last about two years.

 

 

https://www.cbc.ca/n...quiry-1.5340634