How the Grenfell Tower fire spread
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
🔥 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
💡Fire spread
💡Cladding
💡Refurbishment
💡Fire doors
💡Safety breaches
💡Flat 16
💡Firefighters
💡Smoke spread
💡Cavity barriers
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.
Transcripts
a catalogue of safety breaches at
Grenville Tower contributed to the rapid
spread of the fire
that's according to experts testifying
at the Grenville tower inquiry I have
never seen a building where the whole of
it was on fire nobody has ever seen that
it was incredible it was so alien to
anything I had ever seen the blaze
started in flat 16 on the fourth floor
of the East elevation it rapidly spread
through the window the first image of
the flames taking hold outside flat 16
was taken up 109 a.m. it took just a few
minutes for the fire to spread up 19
stories to the top of the building
while the fire was spreading upwards it
was also spreading horizontally at a
tremendous rate and in opposite
directions until all four elevations of
the building were engulfed in flames
the flames met at levels 22 and 23 near
the southeast corner of the building in
total ninety-eight flats were exposed to
the flames 72 people lost their lives in
the tragedy
the report identified the cutting as the
primary cause of the fire spreading 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 it also
claimed the key players involved in the
2016 refurbishment of the tower hadn't
found out how the new cladding system
would behave in a fire other safety
breaches were cited for the devastating
spread of the flames the windows lacked
fire resisting cavity barriers and was
surrounded by combustible material that
meant there was a high probability of
fire spreading to the cladding poorly
performing fire doors contributed
significantly to the spread of smoke and
fire to the lobbies and some doors
failed to self closed after an occupant
escapes
this allowed immediate spread of fire
and smoke lastly firefighters may have
contributed to the spread of fire and
smoke into the stairwell by leaving
doors ajar as they fought the blaze many
more questions still need answering as
to how a small domestic fire spread so
rapidly and so catastrophically
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