On June 14, 2017, a small flat fire quickly spread across a block of West London Tower and engulfed the building in a furious hell.
The Grenfell Tower fire left 72 dead in what is remembered as one of the worst tragedies in the history of modern Britain.
Feelings of despair turned to rage in the days following the fire when serious problems arose with the security of the building.
Tuesday marks the fifth anniversary of the tragedy, and extensive public investigation into the disaster is set to end next month as activists continue to fight for justice.
The Metropolitan Police have been investigating the fire but cannot file any criminal charges, such as corporate homicide, until the public investigation is completed.
Here, we take a look at the main things that have been learned in the consultation so far.
The coating company knew about the risk of fire
The reason the fire was able to spread so quickly across the 24-story island was because it had been covered with a flammable coating during the refurbishment project that took place between 2012 and 2016.
The coating was provided by a company called Arconic, the former UK sales director admitted to the consultation in February 2021 that he knew the coating could burn, but did not warn customers.
Debbie French, who was director of sales between 2007 and 2014, said the company’s more flammable options were cheaper and therefore sold as part of a market strategy to increase the chances of sales. ‘get contracts.
Image: A fire-damaged coating is seen on the lower floors of the Grenfell Tower after the fire. Image: AP
It wasn’t just the coating that burned
In September 2020, the investigation learned that combustible materials had been packed around the new windows during the refurbishment which “contributed to the speed with which the fire spread from the floor … to an outside fire of several plants “.
Mark Dixon, who ran the subcontracting company SD Plastering that installed the material, had complained that the works were giving him a “headache” and that he had to “find ways to make it easier and fast “.
The gaps around the windows were supposed to be filled with non-combustible Rockwool insulation fiber. However, SD Plastering used Celotex fuel foam boards.
The insulation manufacturer failed the fire safety test
There were two types of combustible plastic foam insulation used outside the Grenfell Tower.
In November 2020, the public inquiry heard that Celotex, which did most of the insulation, added a non-combustible material to its product to make sure it would pass a fire safety test in 2014.
He hid the use of fire test report material, official certification bodies and even the company’s sales staff.
The material has also not been mentioned in the marketing of the product which was advertised as “fit for use” in high-rise buildings.
Meanwhile, the second company to provide insulation was Kingspan, which sold its products for use in high-rise buildings without a relevant large-scale fire test.
Its insulation passed a test in 2005, but Kingspan changed the product a year later.
The investigation heard that the products tested later turned into a “furious hell”, but Kingspan continued to sell its insulation through the 2005 test on the old material.
Image: messages of condolence are seen on temporary posters near the Grenfell tower after the tragedy
Poor quality production
The rehabilitation project at Grenfell Tower was undermined by “a surprisingly deficient workforce,” according to research heard in July 2020.
Fire barriers in the cladding system were installed upside down and upside down.
Some were roughly cut and left empty.
The building control officer had no relevant experience
The building authority of the local authority responsible for inspecting the refurbishment of the Grenfell tower had no previous experience in a project to cover a high-rise residential building occupied, according to the investigation heard in September of 2020.
John Hoban described himself as “heartbroken” by the disaster and admitted that he had made “serious mistakes” in his work.
He did not notice that the cavity barriers had not been designed around the windows to prevent the flames from spreading to the outer wall.
Hoban also did not acknowledge that the building’s cladding materials were not suitable for use together in high-rise buildings.
Firefighters were unprepared
Firefighters who witnessed the fire had no training on how best to fight a siding fire, according to the 2019 investigation.
A report released after the first phase of the investigation found that there was a lack of training on how to “recognize the need for an evacuation or how to organize one” and “relatively lower-ranking” incident commanders. they were able to change strategy.
Sir Martin Moore-Bick, chairman of the investigation, also criticized the London Fire Brigade for implementing a “stay” strategy, in which firefighters and 999 operators told residents to stay flats for almost two hours after the fire broke out.
The strategy was rescinded at 2.47am, and Sir Martin said lives would have been saved if the council had ended about an hour earlier.
Read more: Nearly 1,500 children treated for trauma by a disaster. A girl who lost five relatives in a disaster says the council’s “chaotic” response made matters worse, according to the investigation.
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3:18 “I’m missing everything about Grenfell Tower”
The government did not respond to warnings of the 2009 Lakanal House fire
In May 2021, the investigation heard that the head of housing at the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, the council who owns the Grenfell Tower, did not act on the recommendations in the forensic report reflecting on a fire in Camberwell, South East London, 2009.
Six people were killed and at least 10 were injured in a fire at the Lakanal House.
The coroner’s document included requests from homeowners to make sure they had evacuation strategies.
He also asked the owners to ensure that the staff members involved in the procurement of rehabilitation projects are properly trained to understand the fire protection qualities of the materials used.