London tower blocks evacuated as 27 buildings fail fire tests

[rooster59]

London tower blocks evacuated as 27 buildings fail fire tests

By Kate Holton and Jamillah Knowles

 

A resident is evacuated from the Burnham Tower residential block as a precautionary measure following concerns over the type of cladding used on the outside of the building on the Chalcots Estate in north London, Britain, June 24, 2017. REUTERS/Hannah McKay

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain said 27 high-rise apartment blocks had failed fire safety checks carried out after the deadly Grenfell Tower blaze, including several in north London where residents were forced to evacuate amid chaotic scenes late on Friday.

 

British officials have conducted tests on some 600 high-rise buildings across England after fire ravaged the Grenfell social tower block in west London on June 14, killing at least 79 people in the capital's most deadly blaze since World War Two.

 

The Department for Communities said 27 apartment blocks had failed tests, from London in the southeast to Manchester in the north and Plymouth on the southwest coast.

 

Prime Minister Theresa May, who was forced to apologise for the government's initial slow response to the tragedy, said the authorities were now racing to establish what needed to be done.

 

"In some cases it's possible to take mitigating action," she told Sky news. "In others it's been necessary for people to move out on a temporary basis and that is what happened in Camden last night."

 

Some 4,000 residents of the Chalcots Estate in Camden, north London, were told to vacate their apartments on Friday after the Fire Brigade ruled that their tower blocks were unsafe.

 

Emerging into the streets on a hot night, residents clutched children, pets and small amounts of clothing and food to try to find a bed in a local hotel or with family or friends. Many were directed to inflatable beds laid out on the floor of the local sports hall.

 

"I know it's difficult but Grenfell changes everything," Georgia Gould, Leader of Camden Council, said in a statement. "I don't believe we can take any risks with our residents' safety."

 

May said the local authority would be given all the means necessary to make sure people had somewhere to stay.

 

Residents complained of first hearing about the evacuation from the media and getting very short notice to leave from city officials going door-to-door. Not all residents agreed to go, as they felt the evacuation was an over-reaction.

 

PUBLIC ANGER

 

"It was farcical communication," 21-year-old Daniel Tackaberry told Reuters outside a nearby sports centre where the local council had laid out air beds. "You don't get everyone to leave this quickly."

 

Several local councils said they were removing cladding from the facades of buildings that had failed the tests. In Camden, however, the London Fire Brigade found a number of faults, including concern about cladding, faulty fire doors and holes in compartment walls that could help a fire to spread.

 

Gould, the Camden council's leader, Gould, said it would take up to four weeks to repair the blocks that were evacuated. and that around 4,000 residents were affected.

 

Police investigating the cause of the 24-storey Grenfell Tower blaze have said the fire started in a fridge but spread rapidly due to the use of external cladding on the building, trapping residents in their beds as they slept.

 

The cladding has since failed all safety checks and prompted a nationwide review of the materials used on everything from hospitals to hotels and apartment blocks.

 

The fire has become a flashpoint for public anger at the record of May's Conservative Party in government following austerity-driven cuts to local authority budgets. Grenfell Tower is located in Kensington, one of the richest boroughs in Europe.

 

Battling to save her position after losing her majority in a June 8 election, May has promised to do everything she can to protect those residents who survived the fire and to improve the quality and safety of public housing in Britain.

 

British police have said they are considering bringing manslaughter charges over the Grenfell fire.

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-06-25

 

 

[canuckamuck]

I assumed a massive over reaction was in the cards. I am quite sure they could have done the cladding removal without turning everybody's life upside down. But nanny states can't help themselves in their futile over compensation of risk.

[darksidedog]

It is good that the Government has finally woken up to the situation and are trying to rectify it as swiftly as possible. I have to question the necessity for forced evacuations though. A better approach would have been to warn the residents of the perceived danger and offer accommodation while remedial work was being done, to those who wanted it. 

[trogers]

This is action on the past. What actions would be implemented on present and future construction?

[Ace of Pop]

The Great Fire of London was Caused by the Council useing Wood I suppose.Folks all moved back to non inflammable Stone Castles..Nany State makes me puke sometimes. .[emoji447][emoji233]


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[Grubster]

1 hour ago, darksidedog said:

It is good that the Government has finally woken up to the situation and are trying to rectify it as swiftly as possible. I have to question the necessity for forced evacuations though. A better approach would have been to warn the residents of the perceived danger and offer accommodation while remedial work was being done, to those who wanted it. 

 

1 hour ago, trogers said:

This is action on the past. What actions would be implemented on present and future construction?

The Conservatives that hate regulations are responsible for this, but will still fight hard against any regulations. Are these citizens considered refugees now, living in tents or on the floor of a public building. 

[oldgit]

I'll wager the reason this highly combustible cladding and insulation was installed was:

1) It was cheaper than Rockwool Rockclad.

2) It was on the OUTSIDE of the building.

Surely, if a fire starts there, it can be contained, they thought? But, with all the different agencies involved in the construction of this stuff throughout London, not one forsaw the catastrophic and fatal consequencies of a fire starting within the block and spreading through the windows, etc. to feed the tacky, ignitible crap, they sanctioned, outside.

[Grubster]

5 minutes ago, oldgit said:

I'll wager the reason this highly combustible cladding and insulation was installed was:

1) It was cheaper than Rockwool Rockclad.

2) It was on the OUTSIDE of the building.

Surely, if a fire starts there, it can be contained, they thought? But, with all the different agencies involved in the construction of this stuff throughout London, not one forsaw the catastrophic and fatal consequencies of a fire starting within the block and spreading through the windows, etc. to feed the tacky, ignitible crap, they sanctioned, outside.

Yes and money rules now doesn't it?

[Jack Mountain]

Yeah this is overreacting. Installing a temporary fire watch person would have been enough i guess.

[Grouse]

Just use appropriate building materials. The end.

 

Stop being so embarrassingly cheap all the time. I'm surprised the EU just kick us out for being crap.

[dick dasterdly]

6 hours ago, canuckamuck said:

I assumed a massive over reaction was in the cards. I am quite sure they could have done the cladding removal without turning everybody's life upside down. But nanny states can't help themselves in their futile over compensation of risk.

It seems more likely to be a desperate attempt to show they are 'doing something'.

 

Agree entirely that it would be far easier/cheaper/more sensible to just get the dangerous cladding quickly removed from affected tower blocks.

[Stargeezr]

The companies that put this cheap useless cladding on the buildings, should have to replace it all, and quickly or face fines and bankruptsy.  I hope the British government goes after all the peope who were involved with this shoddy and dangerous situation. Shame on all the people who were involved and did not give a sh*t about the dangerous situation they  have caused

Geezer

[chrisinth]

On 6/25/2017 at 6:10 AM, rooster59 said:

British police have said they are considering bringing manslaughter charges over the Grenfell fire.

 

Well I hope the charges are sent in the right direction and they include the various government departments responsible for inspection and signing off on renovation. 

[Ace of Pop]

The companies that put this cheap useless cladding on the buildings, should have to replace it all, and quickly or face fines and bankruptsy.  I hope the British government goes after all the peope who were involved with this shoddy and dangerous situation. Shame on all the people who were involved and did not give a sh*t about the dangerous situation they  have caused
Geezer

No Whirpool should clad the Fridges.!!.?


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[puck2]

I doubt the sanity of the bureaucracy.

 

Before the awful fire …. no action concerning the safety of high-rise buildings.

Now …... an overreaction without any normal sense and without any respect for the suffering people.

 

This construction mistake could have been solved smoothly. If – I repeat if – the London bureaucracy has feared another sudden fire in the affected buildings they should have thought about different solutions. I.e. Having (only !) 1 people watching the tower at day and night, a cheap solution. A publicized plan would have given the affected people enough time to solve their housing problem smoothly.

 

Another problem. The officials tell the people now: only 3-4 weeks and then you are able to return. Liars? Question: Are there so many companies which can do this work within this time frame? And within 3-4 weeks although having other commitments?

 

Altogether, an inhuman conduct.