Fire safety wardens introduced at block neighbouring Lakanal House

News17.12.207.01 AM by Peter Apps

Concerns about fire safety have led to a ‘waking watch’ patrol being introduced at the sister block of Lakanal House – the building where six people lost their lives in a terrible fire 11 years ago.

Marie Curie House has been given a 24-hour waking watch (picture: Google Street View)

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Concerns about fire safety have led to a ‘waking watch’ patrol being introduced at the sister block of Lakanal House – the building where six people lost their lives in a terrible fire 11 years ago #UKHousing #LakanalHouse

Fire safety wardens introduced at block neighbouring Lakanal House #UKHousing #LakanalHouse

Southwark Council has employed the fire wardens to patrol Marie Curie House, which is around 200m from Lakanal on the Sceaux Gardens estate, Camberwell, south London. The two blocks are built to the same design.

Residents of the estate contacted Inside Housing to express concern at the appearance of the patrols over the weekend.

It is believed they are required because the landlord, Southwark Council, is investigating suspected issues with compartmentation in the building.

“As a precautionary measure, wardens have been employed to keep watch over our residents 24 hours a day – this is a procedure we have used before, with advice from London Fire Brigade, to make absolutely sure that everyone is safe. I understand that this is probably very worrying for residents, but I want to reassure them that their safety is our highest priority and we will remain in constant communication with them.”

In 2009, a fire spread across several floors at Lakanal House because external high pressure laminate panels having been installed below the windows.

The resulting blaze saw smoke and flame spread extensively through the building to a range of breaches of compartmentation – the design feature of a high-rise block that is supposed to limit the impact of a fire to a single flat long enough for it to be extinguished.

Six people died in the fire, including three children. In February 2017, Southwark Council was fined £570,000 for four offences under fire safety laws in relation to the fire, including a failure to carry out a risk assessment and the poor standard of the building.

The panels that initially spread the blaze were removed and replaced with Class 0 alternatives (in accordance with government guidance as it stood). Inside Housing revealed in September that these panels were being replaced again due to the further tightening of standards after the Grenfell Tower fire.