Huge Fire In Block Of Flats

[anonymous-user]

Awful situation.

I really hope the cause wasn't one of the recalled tumble driers and the like. As for the cladding, you could flaming material dripping off the building, horrendous.

[jontysafe]

How sad and completely shocking to wake up to.

Am away travelling and have asked my wife to hold the wee ones tight for me this morning.

As mentioned before this is literally the stuff of nightmares.

[p1stonhead]

Puggit said:

p1stonhead said:

fk me there is nothing left of it;

You say that, but it really looks like the fire only entered the building from the cladding inferno outside in a few spots. Perhaps a wet towell and hunkering down in the bathroom really was the best advice

I doubt it

Looks as though one side was way worse at least initially so hopefully the stairs were numerous and / or on the other side.

[SydneyBridge]

someone on BBC said it was a fridge freezer (a resident)
in some of the earlier photos, you can see virtually every flat alight

[King Herald]

Good Morning Britain has already decided it is the cladding that is to blame for it all, the way they are going on about it.

Their are still people trapped, top rooms are still blazing inside, firefighters are still in there searching for survivors, 08:30.

[red_slr]

Hosenbugler said:

I'm astonished the building is still standing, it appears to be totally gutted.

Anyone know if there has been organised evacuation as yet of the adjacent ares?

Concrete construction is very resilient to fire so long as there has been no major structural cracking it will probably stay up.

[marksx]

SydneyBridge said:

someone on BBC said it was a fridge freezer (a resident)
in some of the earlier photos, you can see virtually every flat alight

There's a quote on the sky news website, and probably others from a man saying it started in his fridge.

[superkartracer]

Puggit said:

p1stonhead said:

fk me there is nothing left of it;

You say that, but it really looks like the fire only entered the building from the cladding inferno outside in a few spots. Perhaps a wet towell and hunkering down in the bathroom really was the best advice

Anything living inside that block would have zero oxygen .

Very nasty indeed poor sods.

[anonymous-user]

Properly constructed building shouldn't burn like that, should it?

Condolences to all affected, it is very grim.

[aeropilot]

Hosenbugler said:

I'm astonished the building is still standing

Concrete core......

[Gio G]

This is truly a very sad situation. Listening to LBC, recommendations from previous high rise tragedy's were not followed up. I understand that accidents will happen, however some suggesting no fire alarms were heard and no sprinkler system..

It is stuff of nightmares..

G

[TheGuru]

skyrover said:

Just noticed there are 3 identical tower blocks nearby.

I wonder the their fate will be.

Is the problem with the buildings or the lack of procedures during a fire? People were told to remain in rooms etc.

[john2443]

Vaud said:

Doesn't sound like a lack of resources. Like other recent events, it sounds like a rapid response by the emergency services.

The problem isn't that there aren't enough resources for that fire, it's the number that are left for other incidents. 40 pump fire*, Wiki says there are 157 pumps and pump ladders, so a quarter of them are at one incident.
All stations within a few miles will be empty so appliances from all over London will be moved in to cover the gaps which means all the other stations aren't fully covered and there are less appliances and stations than there were which might mean 1 pumps gets sent to a house fire instead of 2 or you have to wait until one becomes available.

Then the next watch have to take over, some pumps will stay and crews change, some the pumps and crew will change so during the changeover there are 2 busy and when 1 gets back to the station it'll be off the run until it's prepped.

So "Doesn't sound like a lack of resources" is true at the moment the bells go off but there's a big knock on effect.

The required number can be debated for ever, unions say this many, council paying for them say many less, it's difficult to give an correct answer, bean counters will say appliances and people spend 30%(??) of their time sitting about waiting, so need 30% less but when something big kicks off they need 50% more!?

• as well as 40 pumps there will be 15-20 other vehicles, aerial platforms, hose layers, control units etc

[Smiler.]

No (proper) fire alarm system in working order?




And rightly so.

I was only reading last week of a hotelier who was jailed for not having the requisite escape lighting system in one of his buildings.


As for those poor people in this event, dreadful, dreadful episode.

[SkrrSkrr]

Best advice would have been to get out before the fire spread.


This whole stay in your flat is pointless imo. You can either get out while it's just smoke filling the staircase or wait for the fire brigade to try reach you by that time the route could be engulfed in flames.

[Eddie Strohacker]

Isn't it smoke that kills though? Far more than fire AIUI.

[Rosscow]

My heart bleeds for those unable to get out in time.

It's the stuff of nightmares.

Heads are going to roll, surely. Sounds like this 'Grenfell Action Group' will have a mountain of evidence against the management company. Shame on them.

[p1stonhead]

Rosscow said:

My heart bleeds for those unable to get out in time.

It's the stuff of nightmares.

Heads are going to roll, surely. Sounds like this 'Grenfell Action Group' will have a mountain of evidence against the management company. Shame on them.

I think you used the wrong phrase....

[TheGuru]

SkrrSkrr said:

Best advice would have been to get out before the fire spread.


This whole stay in your flat is pointless imo. You can either get out while it's just smoke filling the staircase or wait for the fire brigade to try reach you by that time the route could be engulfed in flames.

In it's original state the fire probably wouldn't have spread and that would be safe advice. But being renovated and having cladding allows the fire to spread like this.

[s p a c e m a n]

The smoke cloud seen whilst driving West along the North side of the M25 this morning was immense. It looked like it was as far as Luton, the whole West side of London was under a brownish black haze.