The fire of the Grenfell Tower broke out on June 14, 2017 in a block of 24-storey apartment towers on Grenfell Tower 24 in North Kensington, West London, England. This caused 72 deaths, from 293 people in the building, including 2 who fled and died in the hospital. More than 70 people were injured. Residents of 23 of the 129 flats died and 223 people fled. An examination of 70 victims has been opened and postponed at the Westminster Coroner Court.
Emergency services received the first fire report at 00:54 local time. Burned for about 60 hours until finally extinguished. More than 250 firefighters of the London Brigades and 70 fire trucks were involved from various stations across London in an attempt to control the fire. More than 100 London Ambulance Service crew on at least 20 ambulances are present, joining the Special Hazard Area Response Team. The Metropolitan Police Service and the London Water Ambulance also helped with the rescue effort.
The Grenfell Tower Inquiry begins on September 14, 2017 to investigate the causes of fires, and other related issues. Police and firefighters believe the fire was started accidentally by a non-functional freezer refrigerator on the fourth floor. Rapid fire spread has been blamed on the outer layers of the building, a widely used species. An independent review of building regulations and fire safety was published on May 17, 2018.
Video Grenfell Tower fire
Build
Grenfell Tower is in North Kensington, Inner London, in a working-class housing complex surrounded by a prosperous neighborhood in Royal Borough Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC). The tower is managed on behalf of Kensington and Chelsea London Borough Council by Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organization (KCTMO), which is the largest tenant management organization in the UK, responsible for 9,760 properties in the region.
KCTMO has a board of eight residents (tenants or leaseholders), four appointed members of the board and three independent members. The tower was built as a council housing, but 14 flats have been purchased with the right to buy. These are occupied by lease holders, or privately hired by them on the open market.
Construction
The 24-story tower block was designed in 1967 in a Brutalist-era style by Clifford Wearden and Associates, with the council approving the construction in 1970 as part of the Lancaster West rebuilding project.
Construction, by contractor A E Symes of Leyton, under the council housing system, lasted from 1972-74. The 220-foot (67.30 m) tall building contains 120 single and two-bedroom flats. 20 of the top 24 floors have six residences and 10 bedrooms each. Four lower floors are used for non-residential purposes. Then, two floors converted into housing, bringing the total to 129 apartments, accommodating up to 600 people.
Like many other tower blocks in Britain, Grenfell has one main staircase. Unlike in many other countries, UK regulations do not take a second.
The original principal architect for the building, Nigel Whitbread, said in 2016 that the tower was designed with attention to power after Ronan Point collapsed partly in 1968 "and from what I see could last a hundred years longer."
Remodeling
Grenfell Tower underwent major renovations announced in 2012. These works take place in 2015 and 2016. The tower receives a new window, water-based heating system for individual flats and a new rainscreen aluminum composite coating. The purpose of the cladding is to improve the heating and energy efficiency of the building, as well as the appearance of the tower.
Two types of cladding are used: Arconic's Reynobond PE, consisting of two, coated aluminum sheets of coils that are fusions bound to both sides of the polyethylene core; and Reynolux aluminum sheet. Below, and remaining outside the flat wall, is a POT thermal insulation of Celotex RS5000. An alternative cladding with better fire resistance is rejected because of the cost.
The original contractor, Leadbitter, has been dropped by KCTMO because their pricing of Ã,  £ 11,278 million is Ã,  £ 1.6 million higher than the proposed budget for repairs. The contract was issued for competitive bidding and was won by Rydon Ltd. of Forest Row, East Sussex. Rydon's offer is  2.5 million cheaper than Leadbitter's. Rydon made an  £ 8.7 million improvement, along with Artelia for contract administration and Max Fordham as a specialized mechanical and electrical consultant. Cladding was installed by Harley Facades of Crowborough, East Sussex, at a cost of 2.6 million pounds.
Security issues
Residents have expressed significant security concerns before the fire. The Grenfell Action Group (GAG) runs a blog where it highlights key security issues, criticizes the council and the KCTMO for ignoring fire safety and building maintenance.
In 2013, the group publishes a 2012 fire risk assessment by TMO Health and Safety Officer who notes security issues. Fire extinguishers in towers have not been checked for up to four years; fire extinguishers where it has expired, and some words "cursed" are written to them because they are very old. GAG documenting its efforts to contact KCTMO management; they also reminded members of the cabinet board for Housing and Property but said they never received a reply. In 2013 the council threatened one blogger with legal action, saying that their post was "slander and harassment".
In January 2016, GAG warned that people might be trapped inside the building in case of a fire, indicating that the building had only one entrance and exit, and a corridor that had been allowed to be filled with rubbish, like old mattresses. GAG often cites other fires in the tower block when warning of danger at Grenfell.
In November 2016, GAG published an online article that attacked the KCTMO as a "small, malicious and mismary" and accused the council of neglecting health and safety laws. GAG suggested that "only catastrophic events will reveal ignorance and incompetence [KCTMO]", adding, "[We] predict that it will not be long before these blogging words come back to haunt the KCTMO management and we will do everything in our power to ensure that the authorities know how long and how terrible our landlords have neglected their responsibility to ensure the health and safety of their tenants and lease holders They can not say they have not been warned! "The group has also published other articles criticizing the practice, fire safety practices and maintenance at Grenfell Tower. The owners association of Grenfell Tower has also raised concerns about open gas pipes in the months before the fire.
Grenfell Tower has no fire sprinklers, like the majority of tower blocks in England. After the fire, Conservative council leader Nicholas Paget-Brown said that the Grenfell Tower population did not have a collective view that favored installing sprinklers during recent renovations. He also said that if they had been installed, it would delay the repair and more disrupt. ITV business editor Joel Hills stated that he was told that the installation of sprinklers had not been discussed.
Fire and previous cladding responses
In 2009, the Lakanal House fire caused 6 deaths. These fires spread rapidly throughout the cladding exterior. The coroner made a series of safety recommendations for the government to consider, and the Department for Communities and Local Government agreed to conduct a review in 2013. Over the next few years, four ministers were warned about the risk of tower block fires that had been highlighted by Lakanal Kebakaran rumah. Ronnie King, a former chief of firefighters and secretary of the all-party parliamentary group on fire safety, said that ministers have ignored requests for meetings and discussions on tightening rules. King described his efforts to arrange a meeting with minister Gavin Barwell: "We have a reply, but the reward is that you have met my predecessor [former housing minister James Wharton] and there are some things we have seen and we are still seeing it." In March 2014, The Parliament's Salvage and Rescue Rescue Group All Parties sent a letter to the Minister of the Society for Stephen Williams, warning that fires similar to those at Lakanal House were possible, mainly due to the lack of sprinklers in the tower blocks. After further correspondence, Williams replied: "I have never seen or heard anything that suggests that consideration of this specific potential change is urgent and I do not want to disrupt the work of this department by requesting that this matter be addressed."
In 2016, non-fatal fires on the Bush Shepherd tower block spread to six floors through flammable outer layers. In May 2017, LFB warned all 33 London councils to review the use of panels and "take appropriate action to reduce the risk of fire."
Maps Grenfell Tower fire
Api
Fires started in the early hours of Wednesday, June 14, 2017 at around 00.50 BST (UTC 1), when the freezer refrigerator burned on flat 16 on the 4th floor. The flats did not have firefighters but called the London Fire Brigade and told the neighbors on the fourth floor. The fire department was first summoned at 00:54 BST and the first crew arrived six minutes after the alarm went off.
Firefighters put out the fire in the flat in a matter of minutes. When the crew left the building, they saw a fire rise to the exterior of the building. The image then presented to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry suggested that the fire may have reached the exterior through the kitchen window of the flats before the firefighters began to tackle the initial flame on the 16th flat. The fire spread sideways at a "scary level". At 1:29, the ranks of the soaring fire reached the roof and the fire was out of control.
Other residents called firefighters were told to stay in their rooms. This is a standard policy for fires in tall buildings, but it depends on the assumption that fire can be contained in one flat. Some residents leave early after being told by their neighbors. Because of Ramadan, many observing Muslims are awake to eat dawn before dawn, allowing them to warn their neighbors and help them escape. At 01:18, 34 of the 293 residents have fled, either after being rescued by firefighters or not following suggestions to stay.
The fire in the exterior spread to the side and re-entered the building. Firefighters with breathing apparatuses are looking for people who are trapped inside the building and take them out. They reported thick smoke and zero visibility above the fourth floor, and were blocked by extreme heat. After three hours, the original fire team was replaced by a new crew. A contingent of riot police is present; each of them attending the firefighters and holding the shield horizontally above their heads to protect both of the heavy debris of burning pieces from cladding. Police equipped with red batter "Helper" were also attended to provide a method of entry into locked flats. The most busy evacuation phase is between 01:18 and 01:38, when 110 escapes. At a point between 01:30 and 01:40, the stairs become filled with smoke, making it impossible for residents to escape without the help of firefighters. The evacuation rate slowed, with 20 fleeing between 01:38 and 01:58. More than half of those still trapped at 1:58 died, while 48 were rescued between 01:58 and 03:58.
In total, 250 firefighters from 70 fire trucks are trying to control the fire, with more than 100 firefighters in the building at certain times during the operation. Dany Cotton, Commissioner of the London Brigade, was called out midnight to take over, arriving at 02:26. Cotton acknowledged that fire brigades had violated their own security protocol, by entering a large building without knowing whether it was in danger of a structural collapse. It was not until the next afternoon that structural engineers were able to assess the structure and determine that it was not in danger of destruction.
At sunrise, firefighters are still fighting the fire and trying to spray the area where people look trapped. The people watching were pushed back from the building for falling debris. At 4:14 pm, officials from the Metropolitan Police Department spoke to a large crowd of audiences and promptly ordered them to contact anyone they knew were trapped inside the building - if they could contact them by phone or social media - to let them know they should try to evacuate itself and not wait for fire brigade. At 5:00, the building was still burning and badly damaged. Firefighters rescued all residents remaining up to 10th floor, but none higher than 20th floor; only two people escaped from the two highest floors.
Witnesses reported seeing people trapped inside a burning building, lighting lights in their flats and switching off or waving from windows to pull help, some holding children. Eyewitnesses reported seeing several people jumping out, and four victims later found to have died of "consistent injury to falling from a height". At least one person uses a blanket tied to make a rope and escape from the burning building. The frequent explosions reported from the gas line in the building were heard. Firefighters managed to rescue an elderly, partly seen on the 11th floor, imagining on television immediately waving for help, after twelve hours. At a press conference on the afternoon of June 14, the London Fire Brigade reported firefighters had rescued 65 people from the building and reached all 24 floors. Seventy-four people were confirmed by the NHS to be in six hospitals in London with 20 of them in critical care.
The fire continued to burn on the top floor of the tower. It was not controlled until 01:14 BST on June 15 and firefighters still muffled the fire bags when the Brigade issued an update on June 16. Firefighters also use drones to inspect buildings and look for victims.
Victim
The fire caused 72 deaths, including one who died in hospital a day later, and the other died in January 2018. The latter occurred after the Metropolitan Police released the official death toll in November 2017. The incident ranks as a deadly structural fire in Britain early on the twentieth century, when detailed records began.
Police examined the remains of the Grenfell Tower and used "every imaginable source" of information "from government agencies to fast food companies" to identify victims. Their analysis of CCTV evidence concludes that 223 people from 293 were present when the fire started out of the building.
This investigation took five months, with only 12 deaths identified on the day of the actual fire. The following week, police estimated that 80 people had died. This is the most quoted forecast in the media for several months. On September 19, Metropolitan Police Commander Stuart Cundy suggested that the death toll would be lower than 80, and that eight people are being investigated for making false financial claims for non-existent victims. Until June 1, 2018, this caused five people convicted of fraud.
The victim came from 106 of 129 towers; eighteen of these residents of the flat were reported dead or disappeared allegedly dead, while most of those killed were said to be in the remaining 23 flats between the 11th and 23rd floors. Some people from the lower floors may have tried to climb the top of the building, and an estimated number of people may have ended up in one flat. Some of the victims were identified from 26 calls to 999 made from within 23 flats.
The dead include many children. The youngest of those known to be dead, Leena Belkadi, is 6 months old. One victim died in hospital on June 15 for inhaling the smoke of a fire. In addition, one pregnant baby survived to lose her baby through stillbirth as a result of the fire.
The first coroner investigation opened on August 23, 2017 and all other checks opened on 23 November.
There is concern that the death toll may be higher than indicated by official figures. This is because of the difficulty in identifying casualties after the fire, in fact there is no official list of who is in the building, and the number of undocumented people, migrants and asylum seekers believed to have lived there. Mayor Sadiq Khan called for amnesty to ensure that people with relevant information could progress.
In the aftermath of the fire, members of the local community, including the Grenfell United population group, stated that official figures are far from estimates, with some believing that the death toll was "hundreds". Ten days after the fire, only 18 deaths have yet to be officially registered, compared to 80 and the last 72. Rumors that the number of victims is higher than the official number that survived after the official figures were confirmed.
Reporting timeline
Disaster reporting increased as follows:
June 14, 2017
- At 05:00 BST, police reported that some people were being treated for smoke inhalation.
- At 6:30, it was reported that 50 people had been taken to five hospitals: Chelsea Hospital and Westminster, King's College Hospital, Royal Free, St Thomas and St Mary's Hospital.
- At 9:30, London Fire Commissioner Dany Cotton reported that there was a death toll caused by the fire, but he could not say how many were killed because of the size and complexity of the building. Cotton said: "This is an unprecedented incident, and in 29 years I became a firefighter, I have never seen anything on this scale."
- At 12:00 the Metropolitan Police announced there were six confirmed people dead, and over 70 in the hospital, with 20 people in critical condition. The first person to be declared dead was Mohammed al-Haj Ali, a Syrian refugee. A large number of people are reported missing.
- Around 17:00, the number of confirmed deaths increased to 12.
The following days
- The next day, June 15, 2017 at 11:00, the number of victims increased to 17. Six of these victims were reported to have been found "outside the block", eleven others found inside.
- On June 16, 2017, police said they did not believe they would find more victims. It is possible that some victims will never be identified because of the intensity of the fire, and the final death toll may exceed 100. Many bodies are still in the tower. Twenty-four people remain in the hospital, with 12 people in critical care.
- On June 17, 2017, police confirmed 30 deaths and a total of 58 missing, allegedly dead.
- Since June 19, 2017, the number of officially suspected deaths was 79, including 74 missing persons and five officially identified victims.
- On June 22, 2017, at least three people were hospitalized with an antidote with hydrogen cyanide (probably released by a burning facade compound).
- On July 5, 2017, the Metropolitan Police claimed that 87 sets of human remains had been recovered from the building, although the extent of damage caused by fire made it impossible to ensure that the remains belonged to 87 people.
- On July 26, at a fourth public meeting of the Grenfell Response Team, a local volunteer reported that there have been at least 20 suicide attempts in northern Kensington since the fire, one of which was successful. The mental health of many victims has been damaged.
- On June 14, 2018, Grenfell Tower was green, marking the first anniversary of the disaster.
- On Thursday June 14, 2018 (a year after the fire), a minute's silence will be held to commemorate those who died in the fire.
Incorrect account
Immediately after the fire, unfounded reports of online casualties were denied, including that the government had covered up the story of the fire and the miraculous story of the babies. A subsequent investigation by BBC Panorama found no evidence that these survival accounts are reliable: neither the Metropolitan Police, the London Ambulance Service nor the A & E department could find any record of this happening.
Amnesties
On June 22, 2017, Theresa May promised at the House of Commons that no immigration checks would be made against anyone coming forward to help the authorities identify victims, or provide information to criminal investigations. However, two weeks later the government said that anyone who came would be subject to normal immigration rules, including the possibility of deportation after twelve months. Can also say that the death toll could rise further; in some cases, the whole family has died.
Community Secretary Sajid Javid announced on July 2, 2017 that anyone who illegally leases a flat in the Grenfell Tower and can provide information about anyone in the building at the time of the fire will be protected from prosecution.
On 31st August 2017 Immigration Minister Brandon Lewis announced that the deadline to register for a one-year immigration amnesty for displaced residents displaced at Grenfell Tower would be extended for three months to 30 November 2017. Sir Martin Moore-Bick (who heads the Inquiry community) wrote a letter to the Prime Minister asking him to consider the long-term future for the population beyond their value as a witness to the investigation. These views are voiced by campaign groups BMELawyers4Grenfell and Justice4Grenfell.
Impact
Short term
The close proximity of the fire to the Latimer Road Underground station caused a partial closure of London Underground's Hammersmith & amp; City Lines and Circles. The A40 Westway is closed in both directions. The bus route is diverted. Services at Hammersmith & amp; The city, and the circle line were again suspended on June 17 because of concerns about the debris falling from the tower.
A total of 151 houses were destroyed in the tower and its surroundings. People from the surrounding buildings were evacuated because of concerns that the tower might collapse. The Kensington Aldridge Academy, which is at the bottom of the Grenfell Tower and inside police custody, has been closed since the fire. Students are temporarily transferred to different schools in the area for lessons and exams. This is during the annual exam period, usually late May to early July when students take their GCSE and A-Level.
After the June 8 general election, which did not produce a majority overall, a deal was expected to be announced between the Conservative Party and the Democratic United Party (DUP), but DUP sources told the BBC that the fire would delay the finalization and announcement. this agreement. The announcement will be postponed until the following week and thus may delay discussion of Brexit which has been scheduled to take place.
The City of London canceled the annual Dinner Party Fest, hosted by Lord Mayor of London for the day after the fire. Philip Hammond, Minister of Finance of Great Britain, will discuss the event, but says he will not do it after the fire.
Fire also greatly affects the three "low finger blocks" adjacent to the Grenfell Tower. Their inhabitants were evacuated due to fires and many stayed in temporary accommodation in early July. Blocks, Barandon Walk, Testerton Walk and Hurstway Walk, also lost access to hot water when they shared a boiler beneath the Grenfell Tower that was destroyed in flames.
Community response
People in nearby areas and from all over London gathered to help the victims of the fire. Donations of food, water, toys, and clothing were made. The Church of St Clement, Treadgold Street and St James' Church, Norlands, at Deanery of Kensington, provide shelter for people evacuated from their homes, as well as near mosques and temples. The Notting Hill Methodist Church near the Grenfell tower became the focus of tribute and held regular practice for the victims.
Queens Park Rangers F.C. Nearby offers their Loftus Road spots as a help center and receives donations of food, drinks and clothing from the local community, and other football clubs nearby Brentford and Chelsea also offer their stadium as a help center.
Government response
After his visit to the fire site on June 15, 2017, Prime Minister Theresa May ordered a full public investigation into the fire. Also on June 15, the government released information including details of special benefit lines and funds to support the victims.
On June 16, 2017, the government announced the creation of a temporary fund of  £ 5 million for survivors of the fire and committed to ensuring that those who lost their homes would be reinstated in the nearby district or district, as close as possible to the Grenfell Tower. , in three weeks.
On June 18, 2017, an announcement followed that all displaced persons would receive £ 5,500, with each household being given at least Ã, Â £ 500 cash and Ã, £ 5,000 paid into account.
The government also announced details on how £ 5m funding would be spent. This includes funds to support people in temporary accommodation, discretionary funds to help with funeral expenses, and funding to assist legal representatives of citizens. An additional £ 1.5million is pledged for mental health support emergency services.
On the same day, Theresa May told the House of Commons that there was "a failure of the state - local and national - to help people when they desperately needed it", adding, "As Prime Minister, I apologize for the failure. taking responsibility for doing what we can to improve it. That's why every family whose homes were destroyed received advances from emergency funds so they could buy food, clothing and other important things had lost their homes to be refurbished within three weeks. "
The national minute silence is held at 11:00 on 19 June.
On June 22, 2017, Theresa May stated in the House of Commons that anyone affected by the tragedy, regardless of their immigration status, would be entitled to support, including health care and accommodation services. No immigration checks will be performed on those affected. (Two weeks later, the government says that everyone who comes will be subject to normal immigration rules, including the possibility of deportation, after twelve months.) It can be added that it is important for those who receive payments from the fund to understand that they can save money - they no need to pay it back, and it will not affect their right to any other benefit.
May said that further residential buildings with flammable layers of the type used at Grenfell Tower have been identified.
In August 2017, it was announced that Kensington and Chelsea TMO (KCTMO) will no longer manage Lancaster Estate containing Grenfell Tower, which will be under the control of the board directly. The following month, it was announced that a contract with KCTMO to maintain social housing in the borough had been stopped.
Grenfell Flame Response Team (GRT)
On June 18, 2017, the government acquitted the Kensington and Chelsea London Borough Responsibility Board to support the victims, following their inadequate response to the disaster. Responsibility was submitted to the Grenfell Fire Response Team (GRT) led by a group of chief executives of the London council. John Barradell, chief executive of the City of London Corporation, led the response team. The resources available to them include: the central government, the British Red Cross, the Metropolitan Police, the London Fire Brigade, and the local government in London. The neighboring council sent staff to improve the rapture response.
The government also announced that it would send a task force to take over some of the Kensington and Chelsea London Borough Council functions as GRT gradually closes. This move from the government stopped requests from the mayor of London who called for ministers to appoint external commissioners to take over the whole board.
Work side effects
There are about 250 specialists investigating possible causes and mistakes, placing an additional burden on the Metropolitan Police as they also dealt with recent terrorist incidents, including the London Bridge and Finsbury Park attacks.
Cotton defends the heroism of emergency services workers who themselves are affected by psychological trauma. An on-call counselor is available. About 80 firefighters and members of the Met Police reportedly suffered from their experience.
Four full-time counselors have been hired (reversing previous staff reductions) and 60 volunteer counselors are brought in. All firefighters attending Grenfell are undergoing psychological health checks. The BBC reports that LFB uses its reserve budget to bring counseling staff back to 2008 levels.
On July 6, 2017, the NHS UK issued an open letter to physicians advising on symptoms for mental health conditions such as PTSD that those affected by these fires (or recent terrorism) may be experiencing.
On August 21, 2017, in an interview with Nick Ferrari on LBC radio, LFB Commissioner Dany Cotton said that he himself was undergoing counseling.
Cost
Grenfell Tower is insured by the US $ 20 million Forsikring ASA Protector, but the direct costs of fires tend to be much higher. According to The Times, the financial impact of fire may reach as high as Ã, Â £ 1 billion due to a combination of litigation, compensation for death and injury, lifting and rehabilitation, demolition and rebuilding costs. and it is likely that other tower blocks may have to be repaired or evacuated.
The council claimed the government did not spend money to improve fire safety in many other tower blocks after the Grenfell fires even though they pledged a financial shortage would not prevent important work. The government does not pay to put sprinklers to older tall buildings even though sprinklers are needed in new buildings with a height of more than 30 meters.
In Budget November 22, 2017, Chancellor Philip Hammond announced that an additional £ 28 million has been provided to help the victims. He asked the local government without the tools to make the building safe should contact the central government. From the fire he said: "This tragedy should never happen, and we have to make sure that no such thing ever happens again."
On January 4, 2018, BBC News reported Police Met requested the Home Office to pay for the investigation, which is one of the largest, most complex and most expensive in its history. A figure Ã, £ 38 million is quoted.
Reaction
June 14
Grenfell Action Group posts a message on its website that highlights their previous warning:
Regular readers of this blog will know that we have posted many warnings in recent years about the very poor fire safety standards at Grenfell Tower and elsewhere in RBKC. ALL WARNINGS WE GET DEAR EARS and we estimate that such catastrophes are unavoidable and only a matter of time.
Queen Seon Deok said that her thoughts and prayers were with the families of the victims. The Prime Minister, Theresa May, said he was sad and called for a cross-government meeting, and a meeting with the Civil Contingency Secretariat. The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, issued a statement saying he was devastated and also praised the emergency services at the scene. Labor Party leader Jeremy Corbyn praised the emergency services for their actions, but said that questions need to be answered about fires and land should be adapted from the surrounding area. Bishop of Kensington, Graham Tomlin, went to the location of the fire in the morning, and advised firefighters moving in and out of the building. In the afternoon, he spends his time with survivors, and also helps collect charitable donations at churches around his parish.
June 15
May make a private visit to Grenfell Tower to speak with London Brigade commissioner Dany Cotton and other members of the emergency services. Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood stated that security issues are a reason not to meet people living in towers. BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg commented that May's decision not to meet those living in the tower might be interpreted as an indication of a lack of empathy. An editorial at The Guardian called it May's "Hurricane Katrina." Former Cabinet minister Conservative Minister Michael Portillo described his meeting with emergency services members as "a good thing" but felt he "should have been there with the inhabitants, he wanted a completely controlled situation where he did not use his humanity". The government confirmed the financial aid the Bellwin scheme would be available to the council.
June 16
The Queen and Prince William visit the Westway Sports Center, where a relief center has been set up to help the victims of the fire.
May make visits to several victims at Chelsea Hospital and Westminster. On the second visit of the day, May visited St. Clement that has been established as a help center. From there he announced a £ 5 million fund for fire victims and promised that residents would be given new housing, as close to the Grenfell Tower as possible, "as far as possible within the territory, or in neighboring districts", within the next three weeks. Some people start shouting "coward", "killer" and "shame on you" to him. Minor quarrels occur.
An article written by Conservative MP Matthew Parris in The Times described him as "a good and moral person, who wants the best for his country, and not personally unfeeling,... in public paralyzed by personal reserves ". Andrea Leadsom, House of Commons leader then visited the help center at Rugby Portobello Trust, where he was confronted by a population angered by May's response, and described the prime minister as "utterly sad" over the events at Grenfell Tower.
Jeremy Corbyn visits a nearby community center and talks with some volunteers who help those affected by the fires. He called for private property to be "taken as needed", to provide a home for those displaced by fire, referring to a large number of vacant properties in Kensington. This proposal is marked by The Telegraph as invalid. In a survey, 59% of those surveyed by YouGov endorsed Corbyn's proposal.
During the afternoon of June 16, 2017, hundreds of people protested at Kensington Town Hall, demanding that the victim be discharged into the area and funds were made available to those who were homeless. The actions of several protesters caused a number of council officials to be evacuated from City Hall.
June 17
On the Official Anniversary, Queen released a statement in which she said it was "difficult to escape from a very bleak national atmosphere" after the Grenfell Tower fire, and terrorist attacks in London and Manchester shortly before. He led a one minute silence at the annual Trooping the Color ceremony held at the Horse Guards Parade. May meets with the victims at 10 Downing Street. BBC Two canceled the Venice Biennale documentary transmission: Sink or Swim , scheduled for 19.30pm that night, featuring the artist Khadija Saye, who was killed in a fire, and BBC One rescheduled its edition. the new series of Pitch Battle because the program contains the theme and lyrics of the song deemed inappropriate as soon as it fires.
June 18
The responsibility for managing after the fire has been removed from Kensington and Chelsea Borough Council. It was transferred to a new body composed of representatives from central and other local London authorities, the London Fire Brigade, the Metropolitan Police and the Red Cross. Residents who live near the tower, which has been evacuated and also homeless, accused the council leadership of going into hiding. Some families are reported back home after being told that priority rehoming is aimed at those living in the Grenfell Tower, amid confusion and uncertainty about whether their homes are safe.
June 21
The chief executive of Kensington and Chelsea London Borough Council, Nicholas Holgate, resigned. Holgate said he had been asked to leave by local government secretary Sajid Javid; the government denied it.
June 23
The 2017 Glastonbury Festival opens with a minute's silence for victims of the Grenfell tower fire and the bombing of the Manchester Arena, led by Peter Hook, founder of Manchester band Joy. Camden London Borough Council ordered the evacuation of all 800 flats from five blocks at Chalcots Estate after inspection of cladding on buildings. Celotex Saint Gobain announced on its website that it was to stop the RS5000 supply for use in rainscreen clains systems in buildings above 18 meters (59 feet).
The Football Association announced that the results of the 2017 FA Community Shield match, between London rivals Arsenal and Chelsea, will be donated to support the victims.
Charity single
Music producer Simon Cowell, a resident of the district, organizes recordings from a charity from Simon & amp; Garfunkel's "Bridge over Troubled Water", near Sarm West Studios. The involved artists include Robbie Williams, James Blunt, Craig David, Bastille, Paloma Faith, Louis Tomlinson, Labrinth, Jorja Smith, Jessie J, James Arthur, Roger Daltrey, Ella Eyre, Anne-Marie and Ella Henderson, Liam Payne, Stormzy, Louisa Johnson, Emeli Sandé, Pixie Lott, Rita Ora, Leona Lewis, Contostavlos and Stereophonics Writer, Kelly Jones. More than fifty artists contributed to the single, which was released under the title Artists for Grenfell on June 21. It sold 120,000 copies in its first day, the highest sales volume of the opening day of 2010, and reached number one on the UK Singles Chart on June 23. The choir, conducted by Gareth Malone, included residents of the Grenfell Tower.
Remember
On June 21, 2017, the government announced the acquisition of 68 flats in a newly built development at Kensington Row that will be used for families of reactors that become homeless by fire. Its development is in Kensington, in the same area as the Grenfell Tower, and about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from the Tower. Not all residents in the new flat area welcomed their idea of ​​the Grenfell Tower being rehabilitated near them.
Kensington Borough Council London and Chelsea have made 169 accommodation offerings for the victims, 46 of which have been accepted but only twelve households have been rolled out on 1 August. The council has secured 105 flats so far, including 68 at Kensington Row and 31 at Hortensia Road, Chelsea, and is in the process of allocating property.
On September 9, 2017, The New York Times reported that nearly three months after the fire, only 24 out of 158 homeless homes had been placed in permanent housing. It was reported later that 28 out of 203 households have been permanently rehabilitated on 31 October.
Grenfell Tower has 129 flats but rehousing is at 211 flats; in December 2017, the board has bought 250 houses to meet the requirements, and in March 2018, 307 houses.
The immediate cause
Refrigerator
Initially it was reported that the fire had been started by a broken fridge. Police confirmed on June 23 that the damaged freezer refrigerator initially lit a fire and named the FF175BP refrigerator model manufactured under the Hotpoint brand for Whirlpool. Owners of the FF175BP and FF175BG types are urged to register their tools with the manufacturer to receive updates. Sixty-four thousand models were made between March 2006 and July 2009, after which the model was discontinued. It is not known how many are still in use.
The Business Department commissioned a product safety investigation into the FF175B Hot-cooling refrigerator. The independent experts examined the remains of the tools found from the Grenfell model and samples of the same type. They conclude that the design complies with all legal security requirements, and does not need to issue a model withdrawal. Consumer groups Which one? complains that the legal requirements are inadequate.
The tenants have repeatedly complained about the power surge that causes the equipment to smoke and such spikes may have caused the refrigerator-freezer to burn. Local Authorities know about complaints and pay tenant compensation for damaged equipment. Judith Blakeman, a member of the local Labor council, said the tide affected many equipment including refrigerators. Blakeman argues that the cause of the spike was never solved.
Exterior cladding and insulation
The newly renovated tower façade is believed to be built as follows:
- exterior coating: aluminum sandwich plate (3 mm each) with polyethylene core
- a standard ventilation slot (50 mm) between the cladding and the insulation behind it
- insulation made of a PIR (polyisocyanurate) (150 mm) foam plate mounted on an existing facade
- existing prefabricated concrete facade
- new double glass window of unknown type and material, mounted on same vertical plane with PIR foam insulation plate
Both aluminum-polyethylene cladding and PIR isolation plates failed fire safety tests conducted after the fire, according to police. In 2014 security experts warn that planned insulation is only suitable for use with non-flammable layers. The Guardian sees a certificate from the building inspector organization, Local Authority Building Control (LABC), stating that the isolation selected for reparation should be used in high-rise only with cement fiber panels, which do not burn. Flammable panels with polyethylene installed over the insulation known as Celotex RS5000, made of polyisocyanurate, are burned when heated cyanide toxic fumes.
Despite the above, Royal Borough Kensington and Chelsea certify the construction work of the Grenfell tower allegedly in accordance with the "relevant provisions". The building inspectors of the Council visited the site 16 times from August 2014 to July 2016. Kooltherm, phenolic insulation, also used on Grenfell. Kooltherm was never tested with a polyethylene core aluminum panel according to the manufacturer. The manufacturer, Kingspan, "would be very surprised if such a system... would ever pass a standard British Standard 8414 standard test". The Kooltherm LABC certificate states the phenolic product, "does not meet the limited burning requirements" of the building regulations.
The combustible material used in the Grenfell Tower is much cheaper than a non-flammable alternative. There appears to be strong cost pressures on Grenfell's improvements. In June 2017 it was stated that the project team chose a cheaper coating that was saved Ã, 293,368 pounds, after the Kensington Tenants Management Organization and Chelsea mentioned in the email the need for "a good fee for Cllr Fielding Mellen [former vice chairman of the board]".
A building controller from Royal Borough Kensington and Chelsea reported past cladding at the Grenfell Tower on May 15, 2015, despite national warnings that the combustible insulation used should only be used with unburned cladding.
Aluminum-polyethylene cladding
The fire safety experts say that the new outer layer of the building is a likely cause of the rapid spread of fire. Experts say the gap between cladding and insulation works like a chimney to spread the flames. Cladding can look burning and melt, causing additional speculation that it is not made of refractory material. A resident said: "The whole side of the building is on fire, its steering up like a matchstick."
Worries about the dangers of external cladding were raised years earlier, following a fire in 1991 in a flat in Knowsley Heights, Liverpool. Recent high fires involving flammable layers are listed below.
Records show that the contractor has paid Ã, Â £ 2.6 million to install "ACCL rainscreen over-clad" during a recent renovation at Grenfell Tower. ACM stands for "aluminum composite materials", also known as sandwich panels, which are flammable depending on the choice of insulating material core.
One of the products used is Arconic's Reynobond, which is available with various types of core materials - polyethylene, as reported in the Grenfell Tower (Reynobond PE), or more refractory materials (Reynobond FR). The Reynobond cladding reportedly costs Ã, Â £ 24 per square meter for fireproof versions, and Ã, Â £ 22 for a combustible version.
According to the Arconic website and brochure for mainland European markets in the event of fire, Reynobond PE coatings used are only suitable for buildings 10 meters or less; Reynobond FR flame retardant suitable for buildings with height up to 30 meters; and above the last height, like the top of the Grenfell Tower, A2 version that is not flammable should be used ("As soon as the building is taller than the fire stairs, it must be contained with non-combustible material)."). After the fire, Arconic stopped selling Reynobond PE worldwide for tower blocks.
Similar layers containing highly flammable insulation materials are believed to have been installed on thousands of other high buildings in countries including Britain, France, UAE and Australia. This goes against the advice published by the Window Technology Center and Cladding.
In September 2014 notice of building regulations for re-cladding work was submitted to the authority, and marked with "Done - not approved" status. The use of building control applications "Building Notice" is used to remove the need to submit detailed plans and proposals to the building control inspectors in advance, where the work performed will be approved by the inspector during their construction period. Building inspector Geoff Wilkinson said that this type of application "is entirely inappropriate for large complex buildings and should only be used on small and simple domestic buildings".
On June 18, United Kingdom Treasury Secretary Philip Hammond declared that the cladding used on the Grenfell Tower was banned in Britain. Grenfell Tower was examined 16 times when cladding was installed but none of these inspections noticed that material that was effectively banned in tall buildings was in use. Judith Blakeman, a member of the local Labor council, questioned the competence of the inspectors. Blakeman, representing the citizens of Grenfell, said, "This raises the question of whether the building regulatory officers are competent enough and whether they know what they are seeing, it also raises the question of what they are actually showing, is there anything that is hidden from them?
The Department for Communities and Local Government states that cladding with polyethylene core "will not comply with current Building Rules guidance." This material should not be used as a cladding in buildings over 18 meters (59 × ft). " On July 31, 2017, the Department released the results of fire safety testing on the cladding panels used at Grenfell Tower, conducted by Building Research Establishment and assigned polyethylene to fill the three rating category, indicating a total lack of fireproof properties.
According to US-based Arconic, polyethylene versions of such materials are banned in the United States for use in buildings that are over 40 feet (12 m) tall, due to the risk of spreading fire and smoke. NPR then states that virtually all jurisdictions in the US (except three states and the District of Columbia) have imposed an International Building Code (IBC) requirement that cladding, insulation and wall assemblies in high-rise buildings with combustible components should passed a real-world simulation test authorized by the National Fire Protection Association under the name NFPA 285.
To perform the test, all of the planned assemblies are built on a standard high-level standard test rig, with a window opening in the middle, and are continuously ignited with a gas burner from two different angles for 30 minutes. The assembly must meet various performance criteria to pass, including the requirement that the fire can not spread more than 10 feet (3.0 m) vertically from the top of the window opening or 5 feet (1.5 m) horizontally.
One NFPA 285 test can cost over US $ 30,000, and only authorize a particular assembly, which means that any changes to each part used require new tests. By mid 2017 ACM cladding with a polyethylene core has not been able to pass the NFPA 285 test, and thus has been effectively banned in US multi-storey buildings for decades. The UK does not require the use of such simulations.
Fire safety experts say that government-only tests on layers alone are not enough, as all cladding and insulation units should be tested including fire cessation. Fire safety experts maintain further that the test is less transparent, as the government has not yet explained what tests are being conducted.
Polyisocyanurate Isolation
The restoration also uses a foam insulation product called Celotex RS5000, mounted behind the cladding. Police said the insulation proved "more flammable than cladding".
According to its datasheet, polyisocyanurate products (PIRs) - charred cuts scattered around the Grenfell Tower after a fire - "will burn if exposed to hot flame and sufficient intensity". PIR foam insulation "will, when ignited, burn quickly and generate strong heat, thick smoke and irritating gases, flammable and/or toxic", among them carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide. The toxicity of the polyisocyanuric foam flame has been well understood for some time.
At least three survivors were treated for cyanide poisoning. Simultaneous exposure to carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide is more deadly than gas exposure separately.
The Rainscreen Compliance Guide from Celotex, when determining Celotex RS5000 in buildings over 18 meters (59 feet), specifies the conditions under which the product is tested and that it has been certified as meeting the required fire safety standards. This includes the use of 12 mm rain panel rain panel non-combustible rain panels, ventilated horizontal fire dissipation in each floor plate and vertical non-ventilated fire termination. It states that any change from the tested configuration "should be considered by the designer of the building".
Cavity cavity
It has been stated that the barrier cavity intended to prevent the spread of fire in the gap between the facade and the building (stack effect) is inadequate size and, in some cases, incorrectly fitted, facilitates the spread of fire.
Windows
It has been affirmed that the windows and its surroundings are installed as part of a less flameproof restoration than they replace because of the materials used and the windows are insufficient so require a larger layer. This will facilitate the spread of fire between the interior and exterior of the building.
Emergency response issues
While there are many criticisms about the lack of fire sprinkler systems, Geoff Wilkinson, building coding columnist for Architects Journal, wrote on June 14, 2017 that if a leaky or cladding gas riser is in error, the sprinklers will have little effect. He also said that reports of combustible materials stored on public footpaths suggest poor overall management. David Siber, adviser to the Fire Brigades, said the fire sprinklers will prevent fires, if started in the kitchen, from ever spreading outdoors.
Some residents said no fire alarms were extinguished when the fire started to fire and that they were warned to fire only by people shouting for help or knocking on doors and not with fire alarms. Other residents said they were warned to fire by the sound of the alarm and saw the smoke. Others reported that they survived by ignoring the "stay-in" advice given by the council notices: directions instructing people to stay in their flats in case of fire. Emergency services initially repeated the advice "stayed" to the population while the fire spread; they then reverse this suggestion, but at that point it is more difficult to leave the building.
Emergency lighting was criticized for insufficient twelve years before the fire. A torch with a renewable battery is recommended that tenants can always get light if they have to go in an emergency; the tenant said this was never provided, and the lighting remained inadequate. Survivors of fire say that smoke in the landing and lack of lighting makes it difficult to escape.
Brigade fire response
Research by John Sweeney for BBC Newsnight explains some of the issues. There is insufficient primary water pressure for the hoses used fire service and Air Thames should be called to improve it. Also, the high stairs did not come for 32 minutes, at which time the fire was out of control. Matt Wrack of Fire Brigades Union says, "... having it on its first presence may have made a difference as it allows you to operate a very strong water tower from outside the building to the building." Before the Grenfell fire, 70% of the fire brigade would automatically send the high ladder to the fire tower.
An independent fire expert told BBC had the previous stairs could stop the fire getting out of control. The London Fire Brigade told Newsnight the first attendance procedure for tower fires has now been converted from four engines into five engines plus a high ladder unit. Firefighters say inside the building they do not have a long enough breathing apparatus. They have trouble getting important radio messages because of 'overuse of the system' and from the need to get the signal through a layer of concrete.
A 42 m (138 ft) fire platform has to be borrowed from Surrey for Grenfell (67 m (220 ft) tall because the London Fire Brigade does not own his own.Surrey's platform does not arrive until a fire burns for a few hours A spokesman for the London Fire Department said: "The Commissioner has confirmed his intention to fully review the source of the brigade and seek funding for additional terms." London Mayor Sadiq Khan pledged to provide the new equipment the London Brigade needed quickly and declared he would not wait for a public inquiry.
Commissioner Dany Cotton later said having more firefighters might not help because there would not be enough room for them inside the building. Single stairs also restrict access.
Kensington and Chelsea Council had been warned in 2010 that building a new high school very close to Grenfell Tower could block access by emergency vehicles. A 2013 blog post by the Grenfell Action Group states, "There is hardly enough room for maneuvers for firefighters to respond to emergency calls, and any obstacle from this emergency access zone could have deadly consequences in the event of a serious fire or similar emergency at Grenfell Tower or adjacent block. "The council destroyed the multilevel parking lot to build the school. This adds to the congestion and parked cars on the streets around the narrow Grenfell Tower and makes it difficult for fire engines to get to the fire.
Keep policies
In July 2014 Regeneration Bulletin of the Grenfell Tower , KCTMO instructed residents to live in their flats in case of fire (Our "long stay" policy remains in effect until you are notified ") and states that the front door for each unit can lasting fire up to 30 minutes.
The May 2016 Bulletin has a similar message, adding that it was on the advice of the Fire Brigade:
The smoke detection system has been improved and expanded. The Fire Brigade has asked us to reinforce the message that, if there is a fire that is not in your own home, you are generally most secure to remain in your home to begin; Firefighters will arrive very quickly if fires are reported.
This is a standard suggestion for high rise buildings. It depends on the assumption that construction standards such as concrete doors and fireproof will allow firefighters to load fire in one or more affected flats. This is not possible in Grenfell, because the fire spreads rapidly through the exterior.
Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, said he wanted answers to the fire safety conditions at the Grenfell Tower, and criticized the official "stay" policy: "Thank God the citizens did not accept that advice but fled." He added, "These are some questions to be answered: We have a lot of people in London living in tower blocks... We can not let people's lives be threatened because of bad advice or lack of maintenance."
Dany Cotton says Grenfell is unique in terms of volume and fire behavior. He said it was a matter for investigation, but defended a general "fixed" policy for most buildings on the grounds that if all residents evacuate at once, they can block firefighters to enter. In addition, smoke and fire can spread inside a building by people who open the door.
The use of this policy by the Fire Department is now being investigated by the police.
Criticism of fire safety regulations
Reinhard Ries, the chief of firefighters in Frankfurt, Germany, is critical of the loose regulation of fire in Britain, in contrast to the law in Germany which prohibits flammable coating on buildings higher than 22 m and requires a fire ladder and a separate fire extinguisher elevator can be used. by fire brigades and people with disabilities or disabilities.
Russ Timpson of the High Fire Fire Safety Network told The Telegraph that "foreign colleagues staggered" when they learned that UK regulations allow high-rise buildings to have only one ladder, and asked the government to review the relevant rules.
Other criticisms of UK fire regulations voiced after the fire include the lack of an external sprinkler, mandated in Dubai and Australia for example for buildings featuring flammable layers, lack of an internal flush, which may contain indigenous fires, and changes in legislation in 1986 under the Conservative government which abolished the requirement that external walls should have at least a fireproof one hour to prevent k
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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