TrentVilla Posted June 14, 2017 Moderator Share Posted June 14, 2017 Pretty bad situation unfolding in London this morning which a huge tower block ablaze and at risk of collapse... Pictures look horrific, given the time it's happened itslikely most people were in bed. Hope they got out before it took hold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest av1 Posted June 14, 2017 Share Posted June 14, 2017 Wow, that looks horrific. Sadly there are witness reports of mobile torches being shone from the top of the block. It is also being reported that there are many people unaccounted for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest av1 Posted June 14, 2017 Share Posted June 14, 2017 Scary how a concrete block can be totally engulfed. You would expect it to be compartmentalised to each floor.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrentVilla Posted June 14, 2017 Author Moderator Share Posted June 14, 2017 Indeed, extremely unusual. The building was renovated recently with external cladding... I wonder if that has been a factor. Have to admit, when I first saw the pictures my first thought was was this an act of terrorism. It's certainly very usual. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest av1 Posted June 14, 2017 Share Posted June 14, 2017 Me too. What is also worrying is that one of the residents that thankfully escaped, said that the fire alarm didn't go off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Awol Posted June 14, 2017 Share Posted June 14, 2017 Accident waiting to happen 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. Unfortunately, the Grenfell Action Group have reached the conclusion that only an incident that results in serious loss of life of KCTMO residents will allow the external scrutiny to occur that will shine a light on the practices that characterise the malign governance of this non-functioning organisation. We believe that the KCTMO have ensured their ongoing survival by the use of proxy votes at their Annual General Meeting that see them returned with a mandate of 98% in favour of the continuation of their inept and highly dangerous management of our homes. It is no coincidence that the 98% is the same figure that is returned by the infamous Kim Jong-un of North Korea who claims mass popularity while reputedly enslaving the general population and starving the majority of his people to death. It is our conviction that a serious fire in a tower block or similar high density residential property is the most likely reason that those who wield power at the KCTMO will be found out and brought to justice! The Grenfell Action Group believe that the KCTMO narrowly averted a major fire disaster at Grenfell Tower in 2013 when residents experienced a period of terrifying power surges that were subsequently found to have been caused by faulty wiring. We believe that our attempts to highlight the seriousness of this event were covered up by the KCTMO with the help of the RBKC Scrutiny Committee who refused to investigate the legitimate concerns of tenants and leaseholders. We have blogged many times on the subject of fire safety at Grenfell Tower and we believe that these investigations will become part of damning evidence of the poor safety record of the KCTMO should a fire affect any other of their properties and cause the loss of life that we are predicting: https://grenfellactiongroup.wordpress.com/2013/01/28/fire-safety-scandal-at-lancaster-west/ https://grenfellactiongroup.wordpress.com/2013/01/30/more-on-fire-safety/ https://grenfellactiongroup.wordpress.com/2013/02/21/another-fire-safety-scandal/ https://grenfellactiongroup.wordpress.com/2016/01/24/grenfell-tower-still-a-fire-risk/ In October 2015 a fire ripped through another KCTMO property, the 14 storey Adair Tower in North Kensington, causing mass panic and resulting in a number of residents taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation. It is reported that had it not been for the swift actions of the London Fire Brigade the consequences of this fire and potential loss of life could have been much worse. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/11967592/50-rescued-from-burning-flats-in-Kensington.html In the aftermath of the Adair Tower fire the London Fire Brigade found that the KCTMO had not been looking after the safety of residents properly and issued an Enforcement Order compelling them to improve the fire safety in the escape staircases and to provide self closing devices to all the tower block’s front doors. A further audit by the London Fire Brigade of the neighbouring Hazelwood Tower (located alongside Adair Tower) found similar breaches of health and safety legislation and an Enforcement Order was also issued for this property forcing the TMO to address the serious concerns of the Fire Brigade’s inspectors. What is shocking is that a decade ago a fatality occurred due to a fire at Hazelwood Tower and the Fire Investigation Team ordered that the grills on the fire escape staircase be covered over. This never happened and it is believed that the uncovered grills at Adair House (Hazelwood Tower’s twin block) acted like a chimney and were responsible for the accelerated spread of the fire and smoke damage. More on the link.. I think some people are going to prison for a very long time. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest av1 Posted June 14, 2017 Share Posted June 14, 2017 Wow. That was actually quite uncomfortable to read in light of last nights incident. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa4europe Posted June 14, 2017 Share Posted June 14, 2017 50 minutes ago, av1 said: Scary how a concrete block can be totally engulfed. You would expect it to be compartmentalised to each floor.. Only for half hour on your doors and then hour on the main access routes, after that it'll get in to the service risers etc and take over, the compartments are only designed to give you enough time to get out not to save the building, the external cladding shouldn't really have much of an impact based on my experience of refurbing a few of them in Sandwell, we did rainscreen cladding as an overclad, the existing envelope of the building providing the air and water seal remains apart from the joint at the windows I'd be amazed if it's not a concrete frame tower block so I'd be surprised if it did collapse, the next thing would be I'd also be amazed if it wasn't riddled with asbestos so if it does come down... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrentVilla Posted June 14, 2017 Author Moderator Share Posted June 14, 2017 BBC now reporting 'a number of confirmed fatalities'. Just terrible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LondonLax Posted June 14, 2017 Share Posted June 14, 2017 1 hour ago, Awol said: Accident waiting to happen That sounds pretty horrendous. An accident is tragic but that kind of preventable neglect is so much worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chindie Posted June 14, 2017 VT Supporter Share Posted June 14, 2017 This is a 'someone is going to prison for a very long time' kind of accident. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demitri_C Posted June 14, 2017 Share Posted June 14, 2017 1 hour ago, Awol said: Accident waiting to happen If this is linked people should be made a example of that this kind of behavior is not acceptable Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa4europe Posted June 14, 2017 Share Posted June 14, 2017 there's like a resident advice thing doing the rounds which I'm not sure how genuine it is but it reads something like in case of a fire stay put, you've got 30 minute rated fire doors which is enough time for the fire brigade to get you out 24 floors, 120 flats, guess at 250-300 people maybe, with the best will in the world that ain't happening awful advice 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amsterdam_Neil_D Posted June 14, 2017 Share Posted June 14, 2017 14 minutes ago, Chindie said: This is a 'someone is going to prison for a very long time' kind of accident. Been watching it for 3 hours or so, not good, not good at all. No fire alarms to speak of with wild rumours all over the place. One stage thing is a guy called in and said his neighbour woke him on floor 4 and said his Fridge had exploded, is that even possible ? Also, a Councillor spoke about peoples ongoing concerns regarding placing older residents high up in these buildings, if there is no lift there is now way for these people to go down 20 + floors in the dark. This seems a fair concern the council knew about but it just had a 1 m+ refurbishment so, this needs to be signed off by someone as safe ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrentVilla Posted June 14, 2017 Author Moderator Share Posted June 14, 2017 48 minutes ago, Chindie said: This is a 'someone is going to prison for a very long time' kind of accident. No.... its a someone should be going to prison for a very long time kind of accident. The reality, as is so often the case will I'm sure be very different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrentVilla Posted June 14, 2017 Author Moderator Share Posted June 14, 2017 33 minutes ago, Amsterdam_Neil_D said: Been watching it for 3 hours or so, not good, not good at all. No fire alarms to speak of with wild rumours all over the place. One stage thing is a guy called in and said his neighbour woke him on floor 4 and said his Fridge had exploded, is that even possible ? Yes, believe it or not they do and it's not even that rare. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaChris Posted June 14, 2017 Share Posted June 14, 2017 Horrific watching this, apparently the fire has been raging since 1am. It could well collapse although lets hope not given the damage already and loss of life. Right by Westfield and QPR for people who don't know the area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amsterdam_Neil_D Posted June 14, 2017 Share Posted June 14, 2017 4 minutes ago, TrentVilla said: Yes, believe it or not they do and it's not even that rare. Never even knew that. I suppose it's the gas in them or something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrentVilla Posted June 14, 2017 Author Moderator Share Posted June 14, 2017 10 minutes ago, Amsterdam_Neil_D said: Never even knew that. I suppose it's the gas in them or something. Most dangerous appliance in the home and you can't turn them off. A combination of plastic, highly flammable insulation, air tight container and add in gas... If they go they really really go and can give off highly toxic fumes. (I used to be in the fire service) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulC Posted June 14, 2017 Share Posted June 14, 2017 I have just seen this how horrific. Having lived in a tower block for 12 years I know how dangerous they can be. we had two major fires. One was started by a chip pan. The fire quickly spreads between floors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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