Council investigates rapid spread of blaze that destroyed four storeys
Inquiry launched into Kingston fire
An investigation has been launched into why a fire destroyed the top four stories of a council-owned block of flats in Kingston, Surrey, so quickly.
The blaze broke out just over a year after a notorious high-rise fire killed six people in a block of flats in Lakanal House, Camberwell, on 3 July last year. That fire also spread much more rapidly than predicted.
Twenty fire engines, two aerial ladder platforms and around 100 firefighters were needed to tackle the latest blaze, on the Cambridge Road estate, at 4.47pm on Monday afternoon.
Sixty households were evacuated with no casualties reported. The council arranged overnight accommodation for 21 families.
The fire affected the top four floors and roof of the 16-storey block, which contains 60 flats, and was brought under control at 8.55 pm by fire crews from across London.
Mike England, Kingston Council’s head of housing, said that the fire had spread around the outside of the building after it started on the 12th floor. He said: ‘We’re working with the fire brigade and the police to establish how it started, and why it spread.
‘There appear to be a number of factors involved, including wind direction and whether windows were open, and at this stage it is too difficult to draw any conclusions.’
Mr England said the block had a full fire risk assessment in place. The assessment had been completed in October 2009 - months after the Lakanal tragedy.
He added: ‘The structure appears to have stood up to the flames which we’re pleased about. After the Lakanal House fire we’ve been more aware of the issues surrounding fire safety.’
Residents of all four blocks on the estate were evacuated and taken to nearby Piper community hall where a rest centre was set up by the council.
Some reported seeing flames leaping from the roof of the block within minutes of the alarm being raised.
Marion Robinson, a resident living on the 14th floor, described how she escaped the building: ‘We saw black smoke coming across the windows and we thought it was kids at first. Then we realised it was really thick and we called the fire brigade. People were banging on doors to get people out and we went down in the lift.
‘When we got outside we could see the flames on two floors and then it leapt up to the roof. The windows were exploding and stuff was falling.’
Ms Robinson praised the emergency services and the council for the way they had responded since the fire. She said they had been ‘giving us plenty of information and providing a place to stay for those who need it’.
The cause of the blaze is being investigated by the fire brigade and the police. A woman was arrested in connection with the incident on Tuesday morning, but had not been charged at the time of going to press.
The Lakanal House fire
A fire at Lakanal House in July 2009 claimed the lives of six people, including three children.
Inside Housing launched its ‘Safe as Houses’ campaign following the blaze to prevent needless death from gas and fire after several similar tragedies.
The fire in the scissor-style building spread at a far greater rate than it should have, given the safety specification of the building.
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Readers' comments (2)
kass | 16/07/2010 11:12 am
Was this block build with fire resistant materials or not?
If it was not, well, why not? Who is guilty of making the decision of not using fireproof materials.
If fire resistant materials were used in building this block, what is the reason why the fire spread, snd spread so much anyway. IN this last istance the important question is likely to be why fire resistant materials did not resist the fire - and it could well be they were not applied correctly.
At least in this fire no tenants (and no firemen) were killed.
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John Bone | 21/07/2010 2:20 pm
This Block would have complied with the Building regualtions in force at the date of its design.
The observed spread up the outside of this block is most likely to have been the existance of combustable personal objects & furniture on the open balconies, giving a fire the path to spread.
Can one blame the designers for that modern 'lifestyle' hazard?
How far do you control how someone lives in their own flat?
Alas, these are daily questions for a block's "Risk Risk Assessment" report and its Housing Provider and their management staff.
Most flats are built of non-combustable materials, brick, block, concrete, etc. Yes, services and pipe penetrations must be safety sealed, by fire stopping materials. And all new services (Sat TV, Broadband, Cable TV, etc.) holes must be re-sealed after their installation.
But, the vast majority of a fire load is brought into a flat by its occupier, e.g. TVs, PCs, Lap-Tops, electric blankets, portable heaters, etc.
Almost all sources of ignition are brought into a flat by its occupier.
Do we ban IKEA and the like from selling inscence sticks & tea-lights?
I am a Fire Risk Assesor, but it is nearly alway a hunam action or inaction that leads to a fire and/or a near-miss.
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