How the Grenfell Tower fire spread

The Telegraph

11 Jun 201802:59

Summary

TLDRExperts testifying at the Grenfell Tower inquiry revealed numerous safety breaches that contributed to the rapid spread of the 2017 fire. The blaze, which began in flat 16 on the fourth floor, quickly engulfed the building, spreading both vertically and horizontally. Flammable cladding, inadequate fire doors, and poorly designed windows were highlighted as key factors. Firefighters inadvertently worsened the situation by leaving doors open during the rescue. The fire ultimately claimed 72 lives, leaving many questions about how such a devastating tragedy could unfold from a small domestic fire.

Takeaways

🔥 The rapid spread of the Grenville Tower fire was due to numerous safety breaches.
🏢 Experts at the Grenville Tower inquiry highlighted the unusual nature of the fire, with the entire building engulfed in flames.
⏱️ The fire began in flat 16 on the fourth floor and spread rapidly upwards and across the building in just a few minutes.
🚒 The flames traveled both vertically and horizontally, eventually meeting at levels 22 and 23.
🏘️ In total, 98 flats were exposed to the flames, leading to the tragic loss of 72 lives.
🛠️ The cladding on the building was a primary factor in the fire's spread, with materials that did not meet fire safety standards.
🔧 Those involved in the 2016 refurbishment of the tower failed to assess how the new cladding would behave in a fire.
🪟 Windows lacked fire-resistant barriers and were surrounded by combustible materials, allowing flames to spread quickly.
🚪 Poorly performing fire doors and failures to self-close contributed significantly to the spread of fire and smoke.
👩‍🚒 Firefighters may have unintentionally worsened the situation by leaving doors ajar while battling the blaze, allowing smoke and fire to enter the stairwells.

Q & A

What was the primary cause of the rapid spread of the fire at Grenville Tower?
-The primary cause was the cladding materials, which did not comply with the recommended fire performance for a building of that height, allowing the fire to spread rapidly up the exterior.
Where did the fire at Grenville Tower originate?
-The fire started in flat 16 on the fourth floor of the East elevation of Grenville Tower.
How quickly did the fire spread up the building?
-The fire spread from the fourth floor to the top of the 24-story building in just a few minutes.
How many flats were exposed to the fire during the Grenville Tower blaze?
-A total of 98 flats were exposed to the flames during the fire.
How many people lost their lives in the Grenville Tower fire?
-72 people lost their lives in the Grenville Tower fire.
What safety breaches were identified in the Grenville Tower fire report?
-The report cited multiple safety breaches, including non-compliant cladding materials, lack of fire-resisting cavity barriers around windows, and poorly performing fire doors that allowed fire and smoke to spread.
What role did the firefighters possibly play in the spread of the fire and smoke?
-Firefighters may have contributed to the spread by leaving doors ajar as they fought the blaze, allowing fire and smoke to enter the stairwell.
At what time was the first image of the flames outside flat 16 captured?
-The first image of the flames outside flat 16 was captured at 1:09 a.m.
Where did the flames meet during the fire's spread?
-The flames met at levels 22 and 23 near the southeast corner of the building.
What other factors besides cladding contributed to the spread of the fire?
-Other factors included the lack of fire-resisting cavity barriers around windows and combustible materials surrounding the windows, as well as poorly performing fire doors that failed to self-close, allowing fire and smoke to spread.

Outlines

00:00

🔥 Grenfell Tower Safety Failures

Experts testified at the Grenfell Tower inquiry, revealing a series of safety breaches that led to the rapid spread of the fire. Witnesses described how the entire building was engulfed, an unprecedented event, with the blaze starting in flat 16 on the fourth floor. The fire quickly spread upward and outward, engulfing all sides of the tower and ultimately causing 72 deaths.

🚨 Fire's Alarming Spread

The fire started at 1:09 a.m., and within minutes it had spread across 19 stories to the top of the building. The flames traveled both vertically and horizontally at an alarming rate, engulfing all four sides. At levels 22 and 23, the fire met at the southeast corner, with 98 flats exposed to the flames.

⚠️ Key Failures in Cladding

The report identified the cladding as the primary cause for the rapid fire spread. The cladding materials did not meet the required fire safety standards for a building of this height. Those involved in the 2016 refurbishment did not assess how the new cladding system would behave in a fire, contributing to the disaster.

🚪 Inadequate Fire Barriers

Other safety breaches worsened the fire’s spread. Windows lacked fire-resistant cavity barriers and were surrounded by combustible materials, increasing the likelihood of fire spreading to the cladding. Poorly performing fire doors allowed smoke and fire to infiltrate lobbies, and some doors failed to close, enabling the fire's immediate spread.

👨‍🚒 Firefighters' Challenges

Firefighters, while battling the blaze, may have unintentionally contributed to the fire’s spread by leaving doors ajar, allowing smoke and fire to enter the stairwell. Despite their efforts, many questions remain about how a small fire escalated so rapidly and catastrophically.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Grenville Tower

Grenville Tower refers to the residential building in West London where the fire occurred. The incident became a major focus due to the catastrophic loss of life and property. In the script, Grenville Tower is the setting for the fire, which is examined in detail for the failures in its safety systems.

💡Fire spread

Fire spread describes how the fire in Grenville Tower quickly moved both vertically and horizontally. In the video, the fire spread from flat 16 on the fourth floor to the top of the building in just a few minutes. The rapid spread was exacerbated by safety failures, including non-compliant cladding and poorly performing fire doors.

💡Cladding

Cladding refers to the external layer of materials used in the building's refurbishment, which did not comply with recommended fire performance standards. In the video, the cladding is identified as the primary reason for the fire's rapid spread on the outside of Grenville Tower, ultimately engulfing the entire structure.

💡Refurbishment

Refurbishment relates to the 2016 renovation of Grenville Tower. This renovation included the installation of the faulty cladding. The video emphasizes how those responsible for the refurbishment did not adequately assess how the new materials would behave in the event of a fire, contributing significantly to the disaster.

💡Fire doors

Fire doors are safety features designed to slow the spread of fire and smoke. In the video, poorly functioning fire doors in Grenville Tower allowed smoke and fire to spread through the lobbies. Some doors failed to close properly, worsening the situation as the fire moved throughout the building.

💡Safety breaches

Safety breaches refer to failures in following proper safety regulations. The video catalogues numerous safety breaches at Grenville Tower, including non-compliant cladding, windows without fire-resistant barriers, and malfunctioning fire doors. These breaches played a critical role in the rapid and deadly spread of the fire.

💡Flat 16

Flat 16 is the apartment on the fourth floor of Grenville Tower where the fire initially started. The video details how the fire began in this flat and spread through the window, quickly escalating to the entire building. Flat 16 serves as the origin point for the entire disaster.

💡Firefighters

Firefighters are the emergency responders who fought the blaze at Grenville Tower. The video mentions how firefighters may have inadvertently contributed to the spread of fire and smoke by leaving doors ajar during their efforts to contain the flames. This complicates the narrative around the fire response.

💡Smoke spread

Smoke spread describes how smoke moved throughout the building, exacerbated by malfunctioning fire doors and doors left open by firefighters. Smoke spread is a critical aspect of the disaster, as it increased the danger to residents trying to escape and likely contributed to the fatalities.

💡Cavity barriers

Cavity barriers are fire-resistant materials meant to prevent the spread of fire between different parts of a building. In the video, it is mentioned that the windows at Grenville Tower lacked these barriers, allowing fire to quickly spread to the cladding and throughout the building. This absence was a significant factor in the fire's rapid escalation.

Highlights

Catalogue of safety breaches at Grenville Tower contributed to the rapid spread of the fire.

Experts testified that no one had ever seen a building where the entire structure was on fire.

The fire started in flat 16 on the fourth floor of the East elevation and rapidly spread.

The fire spread upwards 19 stories to the top of the building within minutes.

While the fire was spreading upwards, it also spread horizontally in opposite directions.

The flames engulfed all four elevations of the building and met at levels 22 and 23.

In total, 98 flats were exposed to the flames, and 72 people tragically lost their lives.

The report identified cladding as the primary cause of the fire's spread up the outside of the building.

Tests showed the cladding materials didn't comply with the recommended fire performance for a building of that height.

Key players in the 2016 refurbishment of the tower hadn't assessed how the new cladding system would behave in a fire.

Other safety breaches, like windows lacking fire-resistant cavity barriers, contributed to the devastating fire spread.

Combustible material around the windows increased the likelihood of fire spreading to the cladding.

Poorly performing fire doors allowed smoke and fire to spread into lobbies, and some failed to self-close.

Firefighters may have unintentionally contributed to the spread of fire and smoke by leaving doors ajar while battling the blaze.

Many questions remain about how such a small domestic fire spread so rapidly and catastrophically.