Fire in North Kensington.

[rigsby]

Sounds like the LFB had a major incident (more than 50 casualties) last night in a tower block. Fatalities confirmed and many missing.

 

[Ricey]

Looks horrendous! It started at 1am and has engulfed the whole building. By the sound of things the residents have been complaining about the potential Fire risks for a good while now. Let's hope foul play has nothing to do with this disaster.

My thoughts go out to all the residents and their families. Let's hope the people of London assist them in anyway they can as they will only be in the PJ's and have absolutely nothing.

 

[Pubey]

Terrible and dreadful news. Just can't help but think that this kind of thing just shouldn't be possible.

Thoughts go out to everyone affected, including the emergency services.

 

[MK Shrimper]

Horrendous news. I think we're looking at dozens dead. Apparently the building had just been clad with plastic, making it easier for the fire to spread. :sad:

 

[Another Surrey Shrimper]

Looks horrendous! It started at 1am and has engulfed the whole building. By the sound of things the residents have been complaining about the potential Fire risks for a good while now. Let's hope foul play has nothing to do with this disaster.

My thoughts go out to all the residents and their families. Let's hope the people of London assist them in anyway they can as they will only be in the PJ's and have absolutely nothing.

lots of clothes / food drop off points being passed around on Twitter

 

[Uncle Leo]

As per ***'s post above...

I'll be popping by tomorrow as it is on my work route (I go past that building every day). Hopefully an official Just Giving page or suchlike will soon be set up for those unable to get there in person.

 

[Ricey]

 

[Ricey]

Sky reporting at least 6 people have died.

RIP my thoughts go out to their families.

 

[rigsby]

We have never had anything close to this sort of fire in Britain, looks more like a scene from 1970's Brazil. The fire spread does look like the cladding could be involved but this should of course have past the relevant tests.

I do remember a serious fire when plastic cladding in the corridors was fine but it had been sprayed with a coating that acted as bad as petrol when the fire started to spread. That was the Scandinavian Star ferry about 25 years ago so that should never happen now.

We do have far less firefighters in London now and attendance times have been reduced. I'll wager they had difficulty in gaining access because of parking so this would delay 'getting to work'. If you then have fire doors wedged open by residents or furniture dumped in corridors and vandalised dry risers, the fire will spread rapidly. The first OIC would have immediately called for many additional appliances but they now have far more distance to travel. Its obvious if you close your local Fire Station It means people are guaranteed to die.

 

[rigsby]

Sky reporting at least 6 people have died.

RIP my thoughts go out to their families.

Sadly this is likely to increase and is probably just from those who jumped or were recused. The crews could not have searched all the flats in that building properly. They will have to sift through piles of ashes and use DNA and dental records.

 

[EastStandBlue]

We have never had anything close to this sort of fire in Britain, looks more like a scene from 1970's Brazil. The fire spread does look like the cladding could be involved but this should of course have past the relevant tests.

I do remember a serious fire when plastic cladding in the corridors was fine but it had been sprayed with a coating that acted as bad as petrol when the fire started to spread. That was the Scandinavian Star ferry about 25 years ago so that should never happen now.

We do have far less firefighters in London now and attendance times have been reduced. I'll wager they had difficulty in gaining access because of parking so this would delay 'getting to work'. If you then have fire doors wedged open by residents or furniture dumped in corridors and vandalised dry risers, the fire will spread rapidly. The first OIC would have immediately called for many additional appliances but they now have far more distance to travel. Its obvious if you close your local Fire Station It means people are guaranteed to die.

Three fire stations close to Grenfell - Knightsbridge, Westminster and Kensington - have been closed in recent years following cuts (source).

 

[THE SEVENTIES NORTH BANK]

I was so glad that guy got out with his 7 year old daughter. But he said they only survived because he ignored advice to stay in your flat in the event of fire. Imagine how many people took that advice and had no chance of survival. Also, an expert said work had been done on the Tower Block recently and it was now meant to be one of the safest. God help anyone in a Tower Block if that's one of the safest.

 

[londonblue]

Horrendous news. I think we're looking at dozens dead. Apparently the building had just been clad with plastic, making it easier for the fire to spread. :sad:

The pictures I saw show just how inadequate the fire service is in these situations. I'm not talking about the fire fighters themselves, I'm talking about what they have to work with. Their hoses didn't even reach half way by the looks of it. They had no chance of putting that fire out.

In New York they passed a law sometime back that any building over a certain height (can't remember what it is) needs to store water on the top floors. This water can then be used to reach the upper parts of the building. Don't ask me about the technicalities of how that would work, but it does seem sensible.

 

[davewebbsbrain]

I've been reading some of the reports and comments from onlookers. The likes of people throwing children from 5th and 6th floors and look of death on the faces of those shouting out of high up windows. Horrendous

 

[THE SEVENTIES NORTH BANK]

That's the sad thing about these Tower Block fires, the hoses/ladders can't reach high enough, and the jets of water doesn't look anywhere near good enough to have an effect on the fire, when the fire is that big and strong. Those poor people living at or near the top had no chance. It really is heartbreaking. I had to turn the tele off as I couldn't watch it any more.

 

[* ORM *]

Three fire stations close to Grenfell - Knightsbridge, Westminster and Kensington - have been closed in recent years following cuts (source).

The time to make political capital out of this is very definitely NOT NOW

 

[Uncle Leo]

The time to make political capital out of this is very definitely NOT NOW

If not now, very soon. Social housing is about as political as you can get.

For now though, let's just hope as many people as possible got out alive and unharmed.

 

[EastStandBlue]

The time to make political capital out of this is very definitely NOT NOW

Eh? I hardly think clarifying Rigsby's point about fire station closures nearby to Grenfell is "making political capital" out of this.

 

[Shrimpers are Magic]

The pictures I saw show just how inadequate the fire service is in these situations. I'm not talking about the fire fighters themselves, I'm talking about what they have to work with. Their hoses didn't even reach half way by the looks of it. They had no chance of putting that fire out.

In New York they passed a law sometime back that any building over a certain height (can't remember what it is) needs to store water on the top floors. This water can then be used to reach the upper parts of the building. Don't ask me about the technicalities of how that would work, but it does seem sensible.

That should apply here as well according to the bloke I've listened to on 5LIVE this morning.
The advice is to stay in your flat so fire crews can operate in the stairwells where there is water supply etc.
Sounds like the building hasn't been maintained properly - who ever has been cutting corners on this one needs to locked up for a long time - no excuses this time.

 

[londonblue]

That should apply here as well according to the bloke I've listened to on 5LIVE this morning.
The advice is to stay in your flat so fire crews can operate in the stairwells where there is water supply etc.
Sounds like the building hasn't been maintained properly - who ever has been cutting corners on this one needs to locked up for a long time - no excuses this time.

You may well be right, but let's not jump to conclusions.