Posted on 06/14/2017 12:31:24 AM PDT by Texas Fossil
A massive residential fire in Ladbroke Grove suburb of London England has many people worried about trapped residents. According to most media reports the 24 floor building, Greenfell Tower, houses 120 units and is almost completely engulfed.
The fire began in the middle of the night. There are over 40 fire squads and 200 firefighters attempting to control the blaze.
(The Sun) […] FIREFIGHTERS are battling an inferno which has engulfed a block of flats in Ladbroke Grove, West London.
Some residents are trapped inside the 24-storey tower, with children among residents desperately shouting for help from windows on upper floors with neighbouring flats ablaze.
One witness told BBC radio that there were likely to be “tens if not hundreds” of casualties, with some jumping from windows for safety in scenes “reminiscent of 9/11”.
(Excerpt) Read more at theconservativetreehouse.com ...
Once a fire starts in a high rise, they are hard to stop.
There is a risk it might.
UK is reporting they are trying to assess the building now.
Not a Trus (sp?) building, or she would have pancaked by now.
It is public housing.
It was built in the 70s, but completely redone in 2016. The contractor, Rydon, redid the exterior cladding and insulation:
“Dozens of tower blocks from the 1960s and 1970s have been refurbished with new thermal cladding similar to that used on Grenfell House and a review of some of those installations is already underway, the Guardian understands.
“A construction industry source confirmed that professionals are examining multiple refurbishment projects in the wake of the fire.
“One architect, who has been responsible for several recladding projects but asked not to be named, said that the common rainscreen system used on Grenfell House is designed to include fire-breaks at every floor and around every window.
“He said that if installed correctly, flames should not be able to sweep through the cavities behind the panels because fire retardant breaks are supposed to be installed at each floor and around each window.
“The issue is the cavity between the existing wall and the rainscreen,” he said. “There needs to be firestops at every floor level and around every window.”
“It is not yet known what caused the fire or how it spread. Rydon, the contractor said it “met all required building control, fire regulation and health & safety standards”.
It will be very interesting to see how this plays out. Was the rehab done incorrectly, or were the materials not as ‘non-combustible’ as they thought? I suspect they will find incorrect installation, possibly due to hiring unskilled workers with inadequate supervision.
My understanding is it was started in 1972 and completed in 1974. I’m not sure if that constitutes an older building or not.
Thanks. Very credible analysis.
I hope it is not more involved than that. However if so, the same number of people are dead and injured. It is a tragic loss.
For some reason (other focus) this story was slow to break in the US.
I happened to be up very late last night and saw it elsewhere.
https://grenfellactiongroup.wordpress.com/2013/01/28/fire-safety-scandal-at-lancaster-west/ https://grenfellactiongroup.wordpress.com/2016/11/20/kctmo-playing-with-fire/ 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/2017/03/14/kctmo-feeling-the-heat/ https://grenfellactiongroup.wordpress.com/2013/06/10/why-are-we-waiting/ https://grenfellactiongroup.wordpress.com/2013/05/29/grenfell-tower-from-bad-to-worse/ https://grenfellactiongroup.wordpress.com/2013/05/28/more-trouble-at-grenfell-tower/ https://grenfellactiongroup.wordpress.com/2013/08/04/the-disempowered-of-grenfell-tower/ https://grenfellactiongroup.wordpress.com/2013/03/05/tmo-still-asleep-at-the-wheel
I spend a week or two every year in a condo on East Coast, wife's annual Pilgrimage to see family and play in surf with grandson. Place we rent from friend is on 7th floor. It is largely a concrete structure, it is right on the beach. But I don't like depending on elevators. It is not a vertical only structure, which helps. It has wings and long paths which could give exist access.
Opps.
agree
current story line? smile
God help them all...women, kids, elderly. This cannot be accidental because of the magnitude of the blaze. Looks like more of London’s finest immigrants are celebrating Ramadan in a big way.
PC Insanity
we will see. probably
I was overcome with bad feelings when I saw the first photos last night. It was clear it was a human tragedy, regardless of how it started.
The vertical component of the fire made me suspicious. Lines running up the building. There may be a structural explanation for that but first glance made me question.
Gas down the stairwells?
Third world population, third world problems.
Fire truck ladders only go to the 7th floor. Know your exits before there’s a fire. Always stay in a sprinkled building
A lot of the people who lived in the block were Muslim. Just to make that clear.
FreeRepublic needs a like button or something like that.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.