‘I was emotional. Everyone was’
This weekend marks three months since fire claimed six lives at Lakanal House in Southwark. Continuing Inside Housing’s Safe as Houses campaign, Emily Twinch tells the stories of that terrible night and looks to the future
The ward councillor
Ian Wingfield is ward councillor and housing spokesperson for Southwark Labour group. He has been instrumental in getting a motion passed by Southwark Council calling on the government to hold a public inquiry into the Lakanal House fire.
‘The first inkling I had was on a bus going past the town hall on my way home from work about half past five,’ he says, recalling the events of 3 July. ‘I could see a couple of fire engines parked up in Havil Street [near to Lakanal House].
‘I had to change buses in Peckham and there was a terrible smell in the area. A smell I never want to smell again. People were in the street and I could see smoke billowing in the air but I couldn’t see where it was coming from.
‘About half past six I got a call from [fellow Labour councillor] Althea Smith [about the fire].
‘I was stunned and shocked. You don’t expect a tragedy like this to happen and when it does it takes everyone by surprise. I was emotional, as everyone was.
‘[Also that day] my father in law was not very well and he died later that night. I had a double whammy.
‘The first time I could get round [to Lakanal House] was on Saturday morning to see what had happened. By that time you could see the effect of the fire on the façade and couple of flats were burnt out.’
‘People are still living with it [the fire]. It’s still with them in some shape or form and they want to know why.
‘That’s why it’s so important to have a public inquiry.’
The council officer
Margaret O’Brien is head of housing management at Lakanal House landlord Southwark Council.
‘I got the first call just before five. I remember it being very quiet in the office. A lot of people had gone home. I was called by a member of staff who was cycling past the block. We realised it was a major incident but had no idea of how serious it was.
‘It was just before seven when Tracey [Downie, the area manager] rang to say the first causalities had been confirmed. The first deaths I heard about were a mother and baby. So it was a very dark moment.
‘Our focus on the night was the people who were displaced. We did not have time to reflect on the events. But it was like dealing with a wall of pain.
‘A lot of people have been affected by their experiences. We are taking a long hard look at ourselves as a landlord and are doing what we can to make people feel safe.’
The MP
Harriet Harman, the victims’ MP, is deputy prime minister and leader of the House of Commons. She was called by Labour London Assembly member Val Shawcross while the fire was still burning and drove straight to the scene.
She sent this email to her constituents afterwards.
‘On Friday I went down to Lakanal House as soon as I was told about the fire. I also went to the centre on Bushey Hill Road which was being used by the tenants that had had to flee their flats in Lakanal.
‘I was amazed how strong and brave everyone I spoke to was, including a 70-year-old woman who thought she was going to die as she waited for over half an hour before she was rescued, as her flat filled up with smoke.’
When Ms Harman met residents after the fire she found them ‘angry - they wanted answers to how the fire had spread and why people had become trapped’.
‘I will continue to work to ensure that the important questions are answered,’ she adds. ‘How did the fire start? Why did it spread so quickly? Why were some people not rescued?’
The community group
The South London Gallery has been working with families from the Sceaux Gardens estate, which includes Lakanal house, for more than two and a half years.
Since the fire, gallery staff have helped families attempt to return to normality. The gallery’s education and outreach manager Frances Williams takes up the story.
‘On 3 July gallery education staff watched the fire spread at Lakanal, along with many families from the estate. At first we didn’t realise that the firemen hadn’t been able to get everyone out. Later, we learned that six people had died, including Saturday Club member Thais, along with her younger brother and mum.
‘The idea for the memorial garden came from people who live on the Sceaux Gardens estate. Families had already developed a small allotment near Lakanal as part of an artist project, so the idea of planting flowers and fruit was already something with which the children were familiar.
‘The gallery works in partnership with Sceaux Gardens Tenants’ and Residents’ Association to organise an annual summer festival on the estate. In August, children and families planted six fruit trees to create a new orchard at the bottom of the Lakanal block. They wrote their own personal reflections on small wooden signs which were erected around the trees.
‘We hope these trees will provide a place of peace and remembrance as the trees grow.’
Inside Housing is running a campaign calling for action to stop preventable deaths from gas and fire. For more on this see our Safe as Houses campaign page.
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