Huge west London tower block inferno – Grenfell Tower fire

[Carl]

Re: Huge west London tower block inferno – reports RT

79 people out of 500-600 is around 15%. To me this number would be realistic if it wasn't for the fact that nearly all reports I've come across mentioned poor evacuation routes. The bottom floors would become extremely congested with people living higher up struggling to escape.

That seems to be the case. The fire seemed from the footage to have engulfed most of the lower part of the building, which combined with the smoke would likely make escaping impossible. It sounds like an absolute nightmare scenario. There are few worse ways to die than this in my opinion. I can only hope that they at least passed out from smoke inhalation instead of being burned alive.

I never thought I would see a fire so bad in 2017. The whole building burned up in a matter of hours. The death toll is being understated. They had a refurbishment that not only failed to improve safety, but added a flammable coating!? Something really doesn't add up here.

 

[Ca.]

Re: Huge west London tower block inferno – reports RT

Knowing the lay out, (and how the hot, and combustible gases traveled), the claim of 500 unaccounted, does indeed hold some water.

Grenfell Tower floorplan shows how 120 flats were packed into highrise
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/06/14/grenfell-tower-floorplan-shows-120-flats-packed-highrise/

A structural engineer is monitoring the stability of Grenfell Tower, amid fears the 24-storey highrise in west London could collapse after being ravaged by fire.

Built in 1974, there are 120 homes in the block, made up of one- and two-bedroom flats. Up to 600 people are believed to have been inside the building in north Kensington when the blaze broke out shortly before 1am.

The Floor Plan Lay Out
http://icecream.me/uploads/20ad4bd8b7279eccdd8077a2b4576a37.png

Fire chiefs said the building "continues to be safe for our crews to go and work in" but the situation is being monitored.

According to several witnesses, the blaze started on one side of the tower block, before sweeping around the building and engulfing it flames from the second to the top floor.

The Chimney Effect
http://icecream.me/uploads/8c7d375674e4ed6cec7185c1c4433eef.png

In November 2016, a blog post from the Grenfell Action Group warned "only a catastrophic event" would expose safety concerns that residents had.

The group said there was one entry and exit to Grenfell Tower during improvement works at the block in Latimer Road and it had issues with evacuation procedures at the building.

Six Hundred.........I would say add another 250, (more or less, condition unknown), with the possibilitys of visiting friends, and or family member's, within the whole complex. At that time.

Vortex of Doom - Chimney Effect.MOV

https://youtu.be/1bJXop5kkpA

Chimney- and Trench Effect, MSB
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSmeg-vn6ho

Flash-over

https://youtu.be/BtMmymOxdjc

Fire tetrahedron
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_triangle

The fire tetrahedron represents the addition of a component in the chemical chain reaction, to the three already present in the fire triangle. Once a fire has started, the resulting exothermic chain reaction sustains the fire and allows it to continue until or unless at least one of the elements of the fire is blocked

Combustion is the chemical reaction that feeds a fire more heat and allows it to continue. When the fire involves burning metals like lithium, magnesium, titanium,[5] etc. (known as a class-D fire), it becomes even more important to consider the energy release. The metals react faster with water than with oxygen and thereby more energy is released.

 

[Chad]

Re: Huge west London tower block inferno – reports RT

Two videos being shared on facebook:

5Pillars
18 June at 18:00 ·

SHOCKING account by two local residents who were allegedly told by a firefighter that there were "42 people dead in one room including children" at Grenfell Tower.

Local residents are increasingly telling a very different story of the #GrenfellTower fire to what the majority of the British public are being told via the mainstream media and the government.

VIDEO: https://www.facebook.com/5pillarsuk/videos/1332560853466064/

What they're saying would make sense, especially since one of the videos shared here seems to show a lady shouting down the halls to people who were presumably trying to escape and telling them to come inside. So one could guess that the 42 people who are said to have died were seeking safety from the rapidly encroaching fire

As always, it is difficult to know for sure how accurate these stories are but it's worth noting since the mainstream narrative seems highly questionable. And it would be no surprise the government wouldn't like a headline like that on front page news.

I know budget cuts partly explain the feeble response from the firefighters - who i'm sure did all they could with what they had - but it is surprising that there was no aid from helicopters - as the guys mention in the video. Perhaps it was because they didn't have the equipment at hand or the fire simply spread too quickly.


As for the rehousing situation for the survivors:

5Pillars added a new video
18 June at 03:16 ·

SHOCKING account from a survivor of the Grenfell Tower fire who's claiming that victims are being pressured by Kensington Council to accept being rehoused outside of London (allegedly as far north as Preston) and refusal to do so would be making yourself "intentionally homeless".


VIDEO: https://www.facebook.com/5pillarsuk/videos/1331995393522610/

Preston is a around 3 hours by train from London and at a minimum will cost £60 for a return trip if booked in advance, otherwise it's upwards of £100 or more; obviously people who have grown up in an area and have strong community ties, and probably save the government money by pooling their resources or relying on their close relations, do not want to be relocated there.

However this relocation scheme has been in effect for 5 years or more, and through various cuts people have been coerced into accepting these offers, but to do it to victims of a tragedy the government and its partners are responsible for is a disgrace.

 

[Seato]

Re: Huge west London tower block inferno – reports RT

The BEAUTY of LIVE TV,
Captured for Posterity,
Listen to the Kid here,

https://youtu.be/Sg40RbVctb0

Peaky's appearance here is quite interesting. Maybe he was able to skirt the system, and get on TV and get some truths out there. But knowing how controlled the system is, I doubt that that is the case. More than likely he was put there on purpose, to sow some seeds of controversy. Kind of getting the first crack at it, if you will. Be the first to get it out there. It seems that controlling the counter narrative is just as important as controlling the narrative.

Who knows how this will turn out. But those are my first impressions, anyway.

I found this video looking into Peaky. If true this points towards him being controlled opposition or at the very least makes his appearance somewhat suspicious.

https://youtu.be/0I9ONyfrmE0

 

[angelburst29]

Re: Huge west London tower block inferno – reports RT

Another video that estimates the deaths to be closer to 500?

The Grenfell Tower Fire - 500 Dead - The Result of Govt Negligence and Class War
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dL2egos2nnY (5:26 min.)


Was Grenfell Tower Fire Predicted on Economist 2017 Magazine Cover?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUzcqxpBiUo (19:29 min.)


GRENFELL TOWER LONDON DONATIONS REACH RECORD HIGHS. "JUSTGIVING" TO TAKE £115,000 FEE (Video - transcript below)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmocJqEu6y0 (6:40 min.)

(Note: JustGiving is a privately-owned business which extracts 5% of donations received.)

London's fire chief said Thursday that authorities don’t expect to find anyone else alive after the high-rise blaze in Britain's capital early Wednesday and that they "genuinely don’t know" how many people died in the incident.

The death toll currently stands at 17, although that is expected to increase as emergency workers sift through more of the wreckage at the residential building in west London’s North Kensington district. The fire also injured dozens of people, 18 of them critically.

The cause of the blaze is not known and under investigation, but a tenants’ group had complained for years about the risk of a fire.

Investigators are still searching for victims and the families of those unaccounted for have been appealing on social media for information. Witnesses described harrowing scenes as the building became an inferno with people, including children, jumping out of windows to escape the heat. Entire families may be missing.

The Grenfell Tower has 20 floors of apartments and 4 floors of mixed-used residential and office space. How many people were in the building during the fire has not been established. Up to 600 people lived in the building's 120 apartments.

Around 200 firefighters respondent to the massive fire and Cotton said that some were traumatized. "We like to think of ourselves as ‘roughty, toughty’ and heroes —they are heroes — but they have feelings, and people were absolutely devastated."

Britain's monarch prince William queen and the Duke of Edinburgh also spoke about the firefighters on Thursday. "Prince Philip and I would like to pay tribute to the bravery of firefighters and other emergency services officers who put their own lives at risk to save others," the queen said. Theresa May says the community around the Grenfell Tower are right to demand answers. inquiry

She said she overwhelmed by the bravery of the firefighters when she visited the scene today. SURVIVORS of the tower block inferno stumbled over bodies as they desperately fought their way through black smoke to escape down the stairwell. plastic mainstream truth

Dozens of residents at Grenfell Tower in North Kensington, West London, are feared dead — weeks after a £10million refurbishment of the block that developers said was safe. Local residents warned of the potential fire risk in London's Grenfell Tower apartment block nearly 18 months before the complex was engulfed in a giant blaze, saying they feared people could be trapped inside if a fire broke out.

Key points: The Grenfell Action Group said it was worried people would be trapped if fire broke out in the tower block It's still not clear how many people were unable to get out as the fire took hold. The block was undergoing refurbishment which could have blocked exits.

Former chairman of the building's residents' association David Collins told the he and other residents had repeatedly pushed for an investigation into the "incompetent" tenant management organization.

The donations, so far totaling £2.3m, broke previous records for the largest one-day sums given via the website. JustGiving's fee of 5pc of any money donated - more than twice the fees of some rival donor sites - means it will get a bumper windfall.

The sums generated for the firm could be even higher, as JustGiving applies that fee to GiftAid donations too. GiftAid enables UK taxpayers to get tax relief on any charitable donations, with this sum going to the charity too. For every £1 you give 25p can be reclaimed.

JustGiving, a privately-owned business, said that it uses the 5pc charge on all donations to maintain the website and process GiftAid tax relief. It also gives free advice to charities on online fundraising and creating new fundraising tools.

The Grenfell fundraising saw the largest amount raised in a single day on JustGiving, of £1.6m.

The Evening Standard Dispossessed Fund and London Community Foundation JustGiving page has raised £1.1m alone, while a page setup by local teacher Hayley Yearwood has raised just over £1m. including the Kensington & Chelsea Foundation, which raised almost £90,000 and Family Action, which has raised £115,000.

 

[SocietyoftheSpectacle]

Re: Huge west London tower block inferno – reports RT

Not sure of the Implications of this yet.

Interesting though. VERY,

https://youtu.be/AulVLH3sZ5s

 

[Ca.]

Re: Huge west London tower block inferno – reports RT

Grenfell Tower survivors to be rehoused in 68 luxury Kensington flats after public outcry Video
Published time: 21 Jun, 2017 14:41
https://www.rt.com/uk/393393-grenfell-tower-luxury-flats/

Survivors of London’s Grenfell Tower fire will be rehomed in a luxury housing development in the heart of Kensington, the government has announced, following massive public outcry over its “slow” and “chaotic” response to the disaster.

Sixty-eight apartments, including one, two and three-bedroom flats, have been acquired at the newly-built Kensington Row by The City of London Corporation. The development is part of a £2 billion (US$2.5 billion) regeneration project owned by the Berkley Group.

The move comes after Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn called for empty luxury properties in Kensington to be taken over by the government to house victims.

Private properties in the complex, which is just a couple of miles away from Grenfell Tower, are worth between £1.5 million and £13 million.
Each new home will be fully furnished and completed to a high-specification, the government says.

The flats for Grenfell Tower victims are expected to be completed by the end of July. The Department for Communities and Local Government said extra public money had been found so the apartments could be fitted out more quickly, and more builders had been taken on.

The upmarket apartment complex includes a 24-hour concierge, a gym, a swimming pool and a private cinema. A spokesperson for the developer told the Evening Standard Grenfell residents will not have access to these facilities.

Communities Secretary Sajid Javid said in a statement that Grenfell residents had been through “some of the most harrowing and traumatic experiences imaginable.”

“Our priority is to get everyone who has lost their home permanently rehoused locally as soon as possible, so that they can begin to rebuild their lives,” he added.

The 250 residents affected by the fire are currently being housed in hotels around the area.

At least 79 people died and hundreds were left homeless after fire engulfed the tower a week ago.

Day of Rage protests: "Tories will always put profit over people"

https://youtu.be/CEycXB2U878

 

[SocietyoftheSpectacle]

Re: Huge west London tower block inferno – reports RT

I really dont think the Day of RAGE had Many Local supporters.
Mainly Far Lefty Socialist Marxist Types.
( ultimately tools of the Hegellian control system )
Also Looks like the Police have Placed a perimeter around the area that helps keep people from connecting.

https://youtu.be/61Y47TjdW4w

 

[angelburst29]

Re: Huge west London tower block inferno – reports RT

Grenfell Tower survivors to be rehoused in 68 luxury Kensington flats after public outcry Video
Published time: 21 Jun, 2017 14:41
https://www.rt.com/uk/393393-grenfell-tower-luxury-flats/

The 250 residents affected by the fire are currently being housed in hotels around the area.

At least 79 people died and hundreds were left homeless after fire engulfed the tower a week ago.

Amazing - on how the media reports have been playing with the number of survivors?

LONDON — Nicholas Holgate, the CEO of Kensington and Chelsea council, has resigned in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire disaster.

Kensington and Chelsea council CEO resigns after Grenfell Tower disaster
http://www.businessinsider.com/kensington-and-chelsea-ceo-nicholas-holgate-resigns-over-grenfell-tower-2017-6

In a statement, Holgate said he was asked to step down by Communities and Local Government Secretary Sajid Javid. He will make way once a successor is identified.

Council leader Nicholas Paget-Brown said Holgate's resignation was accepted with "great regret." He said the local authority is "grief-stricken" by last week's blaze, which claimed the lives of at least 79 people.

Protestors took to the streets of London purportedly in response to the tragic fire at Grenfell Towers; but the reality is that this is nothing but the Militant Left using undemocratic means to force another election. Politicians are to blame for this directly; it is no coincidence that Labour Shadow Chancellor, John McDonald, several days ago called for a million people to take to the streets and force an early election…and then people take to the streets?

In London, A Day of Rage Attempts to Bring Down the Government
http://investmentwatchblog.com/in-london-a-day-of-rage-attempts-to-bring-down-the-government/

This is not a Grassroots movement of spontaneous uprising; it is a well-organised and well-funded protest with the aim of removing a democratically elected leader from government. The very fact that even its organizers are calling it #DayofRage should give you some idea of how peaceful this was designed to be. It is the Momentum group that saw Labour leader, Jeremy Corby, into his role and it the the Momentum movement that is seeking to hand the levers of government to the guy who lost by quite a startling amount of votes.

Labour’s Shadow Chancellor, John McDonald, is one of the prime movers behind this event; and to give you a rough idea of what he hopes it will be, look at his comments during the 2010 riots in the UK: “It just needed the one small spark way back in November before last, of the students kicking the s**t out of Millbank and then that spark lighting all the combustible material – that then brought people out in March, June and then November, and that’s the best of our movement and it’s still there, you know it’s still there.”

And if you are in any doubt just how anti-Western and anti-Democratic this march and its organizers re, remember that this is not the first #DayofRage this year. Just a month ago, the terror group Hamas called for #DayofRage. And days before that, Palestinians had organized a #DayofRage over hunger strikers in Israel (who strangely enough were putting on weight). And back in February, we had Iran’s #Dayof Rage which was essentially just an excuse to spends some American Taxpayer money on US flags and burn them for Facebook pics and Instagram.

This march is a joke. They are marching against the people who voted for the Conservative party, and looking to remove their right to choose whichever feeble minded candidate they please. This is not democracy, it is the vocal minority having the whip hand over those that are getting on with their lives and going to work.

 

[angelburst29]

Re: Huge west London tower block inferno – reports RT

In many of the reports, they keep mentioning that the Grenfell Tower in North Kensington is surrounded by expensive real estate. Am I reading that correctly? I ask because now, they are calling for "Five London tower blocks to be evacuated over safety fears after Grenfell fire. They are stating that it will take 3-4 weeks for the inspections to be completed. I'm starting to wonder, if all the complaints that fell on deaf ears was because "someone" or an elite group were waiting for something to happen, just so they could use it as an excuse to get rid of the lower income families, move them away from the area and reclaim the land for expensive redevelopment? I know that sounds "cynical" but they haven't solved "what really happened" or settled on the true count of those who have actually perished in the fire? Suddenly, they want to displace another 800 families between five Towers? Where do they plan on housing all these people for a month or more?

The way things are going, it wouldn't surprise me, if in the next couple of weeks, they "condemn" the other five buildings?

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/jun/23/camden-to-evacuate-taplow-tower-over-fire-safety-fears-after-grenfell-disaster

Residents of the 800 homes on Chalcots estate to be moved into temporary accommodation for three to four weeks after fire brigade inspection.

An entire estate in north London is being evacuated after a fire inspection in the wake of the Grenfell Tower disaster found its tower blocks to be unsafe. Temporary accommodation is being sought for about 800 households from the five high rises on the Chalcot estate in Camden.

The buildings were being emptied on Friday evening after firefighters said they “could not guarantee our residents’ safety”, the leader of Camden council, Labour’s Georgia Gould, said.

Those affected were being placed in temporary accommodation, including in hotels, Gould said. “At the moment, all we care about is getting people to safety. The cost we can deal with later.” The work to make the blocks safe is expected to take three to four weeks.

The council initially announced that only one tower, Taplow, which contains 161 households, was to be “temporarily decanted”. But, within the hour, Gould said the decision was taken to evacuate the whole estate. She told reporters: “We think at the moment it’s about 800 (households) but it’s an emerging picture.”

A rest centre for residents has been set up at Swiss Cottage library, she said, adding that efforts by council staff to process people’s cases there was getting under way immediately.

The council had already announced that it would immediately begin preparing to remove cladding from five towers on the estate discovered in an inspection that was ordered following the Grenfell disaster in north Kensington which killed at least 79 people.

But Gould said residents had since shared fire safety concerns that she had not previously been aware of and fire safety experts who inspected the estate on Friday had informed her that they could not guarantee their safety.

Gould said: “We realise that this is hugely distressing for everyone affected and we will be doing all we can, alongside the London fire brigade and other authorities, to support our residents at this difficult time. The Grenfell fire changes everything – we need to do everything we can to keep residents safe.”

The council’s safety inspection found that, while the cladding and insulation were different from that used on Grenfell Tower, the former “did not satisfy our independent laboratory testing or the high standards we set for contractors”. In a letter sent to residents, the council said it was “taking legal advice”.

Gould said that those people affected by the evacuation should go to Swiss Cottage library for more information and asked anyone who was able to stay with friends or relatives to do so. She was unable to say exactly how many people were being removed from their homes.

Michelle Urquhart, a resident of the Chalcot estate’s Bray tower, told the Press Association: “It’s a bit frightening. They are talking about evacuating all five blocks. At the moment, they haven’t done it and they are saying they will knock on everyone’s doors when they are ready.

“I don’t know where we are going to go. One man in a suit said to me, ‘You can’t stay here tonight.’ I’m so angry because we had the meeting with the council last night and they tried to reassure us. We have been living in these flats for the last 10 years with this cladding.”

Kim Price, a teacher who lives in Blashford tower with her 14-year-old son, said: “I really don’t know what to do, I’m so scared right now. The news has said ‘get out now’ but the authorities have said ‘stay put’.

“But why now? At 4pm today, they said it would be okay and that all the checks were fine. And now, all of a sudden, the news is saying we should get out.

“I have family in Wales who are saying ‘come here, we’ll come and get you’. I’ve tried calling the council and all you’re getting is nothing. All they’re saying is ‘you’re safe inside’.

“We’ve had two letters in two days saying ‘you’re not safe’ then ‘you’re safe’. I don’t really know what to do. I don’t really trust them to be honest but it’s not their fault either, it’s a very big thing to take on. They couldn’t have foreseen this. I just want to be safe.”

The evacuation comes as four more victims of Grenfell Tower were formally identified, taking the known victims of the fire to nine. Scotland Yard also revealed that detectives investigating the blaze were considering bringing manslaughter charges.

Refurbishment on the estate was overseen by Rydon, the company involved in the refit of Grenfell Tower, according to the firm’s website.

The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said he was in contact with the council and emergency services. “There is a particular set of circumstances on this estate that make this necessary, which has been identified following good work between Camden council and the London fire brigade. Fire safety checks are ongoing at other estates across the UK.”

 

[angelburst29]

Re: Huge west London tower block inferno – reports RT

Five London tower blocks to be evacuated over safety fears after Grenfell fire
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/jun/23/camden-to-evacuate-taplow-tower-over-fire-safety-fears-after-grenfell-disaster

Residents of the 800 homes on Chalcots estate to be moved into temporary accommodation for three to four weeks after fire brigade inspection.

I can't even imagine the utter chaos of moving all these families to temporary shelter. Friday night, they even woke people up to vacate these buildings.
They asked 650 households to vacate!

Chalcots estate residents moved overnight into temporary accommodation after council said it could not guarantee safety

Hundreds evacuated from London tower blocks over fears of Grenfell repeat
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/jun/23/camden-to-evacuate-taplow-tower-over-fire-safety-fears-after-grenfell-disaster?utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=GU+Today+main+NEW+H+categories&utm_term=232065&subid=20022253&CMP=EMCNEWEML6619I2

Hundreds of residents of a housing estate in north London have been evacuated overnight after fire inspectors said five tower blocks were at risk following the Grenfell Tower blaze.

People living on Chalcots estate in Swiss Cottage were woken during the night and told to leave their homes immediately after Camden council became the first in the country to order an evacuation of blocks at risk of a similar fire.

Those affected described scenes of confusion as they were told the council was unable to guarantee residents’ safety. They are asked to find alternative accommodation or report to a local leisure center, where hundreds of mattresses had been laid out. Others were offered hotel rooms for the night.

Speaking on Saturday morning, the leader of Camden council, Georgia Gould, said: “We’ve had a huge effort overnight to evacuate people. We have had 650 households who have moved out of the tower blocks.

We’ve had everyone, council staff, volunteers, different councillors, all coming together with the fire service to move people safely out of their accommodation.”

She told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “The last thing I wanted to do was ask residents late on a Friday night to leave their homes. I have been with them all night and people are distressed, angry and scared. It’s such a difficult decision.

“But I said to fire services, is there anything I can do to make this block safe tonight? I offered to pay for fire services to be stationed outside those blocks just so we could have a couple of days to get the works done, but the message was [that there was] nothing to do to make blocks safe that night.”

Gould had announced the evacuation after a review of the blocks found cladding similar to that which had been on Grenfell Tower, as well as fire risks on insulation surrounding gas piping.

“All we care about is getting people to safety. The cost we can deal with later,” she said.

“The work to make the blocks safe is expected to take three to four weeks. An operation of this scale, at such pace, is not without issues and problems along the way, but we had to do this, we have to act on fire service advice.”

As the scattered families and individuals came to terms with the upheaval on Saturday morning, with some claiming to have only learned of the evacuation after seeing it on the news:

* Two relief centres in Swiss Cottage and the Camden centre in King’s Cross were said to be near capacity.
* Camden council said it had secured hundreds of hotel beds for evacuated residents.
* People were being encouraged to stay with friends and family if possible while remedial work took place.
* The prime minister, Theresa May, said her “thoughts are with residents being evacuated in Camden” and offered “every support”.
* One of the five towers evacuated was deemed safe and residents were told they could return.
* Gould said 83 people refused to leave their homes.

Sajid Javid, the communities secretary, told Sky News early on Saturday morning that the evacuation was forced not by the cladding alone, but “multiple other fire safety failures”, including problems with insulation on gas pipes and missing fire doors.

The council initially announced on Friday that only one tower, Taplow, which contains 161 households, was to be “temporarily decanted”. Within the hour, however, Gould said the decision had been taken to evacuate the whole estate.

She said a rest center for residents had been set up at Swiss Cottage library and efforts by council staff to process residents’ cases there were beginning immediately.

A council spokesman said: “We’re encouraging all residents to stay with friends and family if they can, otherwise we’ll provide accommodation.

Swiss Cottage rest center is nearing capacity, so we’ve secured more space at the Camden center [in] King’s Cross.

“Specialist staff are on the ground to assist residents with care needs. Pets are also welcome at both rest centers and hotel accommodation.”

The council earlier said it would immediately start preparing to remove cladding from five towers on the estate after an inspection ordered following the Grenfell disaster, which killed at least 79 people, found it could be a fire risk.

Gould said residents had since shared fire safety concerns that she had not previously been aware of and experts who inspected the estate on Friday informed her they could not guarantee the tenants’ safety.

“We realize that this is hugely distressing for everyone affected and we will be doing all we can, alongside London fire brigade and other authorities, to support our residents at this difficult time. The Grenfell fire changes everything, we need to do everything we can to keep residents safe,” she said.

 

[Chad]

Re: Huge west London tower block inferno – reports RT

Five London tower blocks to be evacuated over safety fears after Grenfell fire
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/jun/23/camden-to-evacuate-taplow-tower-over-fire-safety-fears-after-grenfell-disaster

Residents of the 800 homes on Chalcots estate to be moved into temporary accommodation for three to four weeks after fire brigade inspection.

I can't even imagine the utter chaos of moving all these families to temporary shelter. Friday night, they even woke people up to vacate these buildings.
They asked 650 households to vacate!

Chalcots estate residents moved overnight into temporary accommodation after council said it could not guarantee safety

Hundreds evacuated from London tower blocks over fears of Grenfell repeat
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/jun/23/camden-to-evacuate-taplow-tower-over-fire-safety-fears-after-grenfell-disaster?utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=GU+Today+main+NEW+H+categories&utm_term=232065&subid=20022253&CMP=EMCNEWEML6619I2

Hundreds of residents of a housing estate in north London have been evacuated overnight after fire inspectors said five tower blocks were at risk following the Grenfell Tower blaze.

People living on Chalcots estate in Swiss Cottage were woken during the night and told to leave their homes immediately after Camden council became the first in the country to order an evacuation of blocks at risk of a similar fire.

Those affected described scenes of confusion as they were told the council was unable to guarantee residents’ safety. They are asked to find alternative accommodation or report to a local leisure center, where hundreds of mattresses had been laid out. Others were offered hotel rooms for the night.

Speaking on Saturday morning, the leader of Camden council, Georgia Gould, said: “We’ve had a huge effort overnight to evacuate people. We have had 650 households who have moved out of the tower blocks.
[...]

One wonders if there wasn't a more humane and possibly cheaper solution to the problem; a problem they've known about pretty much since those buildings were built - i think many in the 1950's. Albeit one which has become worse after gentrifying the exteriors with cladding that didn't pass health and safety regulations. The sudden evacuation measures makes me question their motivations. Alas, it could just be a knee-jerk reaction to tragedy the government is responsible for, and one they haven't full.

This 1 minute short taken from an Adam Curtis documentary discusses how these buildings were a known 'fire risk'.

https://youtu.be/upViHb8z4wY

What with buildings like this all around the country, are they going to try and evacuate everybody? In Manchester on one building they've taken down recently installed cladding, and even though that fire was unprecedented, the buildings still aren't safe, and as one user on facebook noted: " The government, however, added that private landlords would not have to fire-test their high rise cladding, even if it is similar to the one in Grenfell. ' with "How many MP's are also private landlords"...many Tory MPs are.

 

[Ca.]

Re: Huge west London tower block inferno – reports RT

What with buildings like this all around the country, are they going to try and evacuate everybody? In Manchester on one building they've taken down recently installed cladding, and even though that fire was unprecedented, the buildings still aren't safe, and as one user on facebook noted: " The government, however, added that private landlords would not have to fire-test their high rise cladding, even if it is similar to the one in Grenfell. ' with "How many MP's are also private landlords"...many Tory MPs are.

72 firefighters, 10 engines tackle apartment block blaze in east London (PHOTOS, VIDEOS)
Published time: 24 Jun, 2017 16:56
https://www.rt.com/uk/393950-london-fire-bethnal-green/
Snip links within:

https://twitter.com/dionysislivanis/status/878640525141848065/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rt.com%2Fuk%2F393950-london-fire-bethnal-green%2F

Ten fire engines and 72 firefighters were deployed to battle a fire at a block of flats on Turin Street in Bethal Green, East London, according to the London Fire Brigade.

“The whole of a flat on the third floor was gutted by fire. The whole of the roof was also destroyed”, the fire service said in a statement.
SD
Over 600 households were evacuated from tower blocks in Camden on Friday night over safety fears concerning cladding on the buildings similar to that on the Grenfell Tower. Scores of residents are refusing to leave their homes despite emergency services warning they cannot guarantee the safety of residents.

Some 27 apartment blocks in 15 council areas across England have failed fire cladding safety tests since the Grenfell disaster claimed the lives of at least 79 residents on June 14.

Building Fire In Cheadle Manchester Taken From Drone
Published on Jun 24, 2017

https://youtu.be/0C5wXcf7kaA
Building fire in Cheadle, Manchester.
24.06.2017

 

[angelburst29]

Re: Huge west London tower block inferno – reports RT

One wonders if there wasn't a more humane and possibly cheaper solution to the problem; a problem they've known about pretty much since those buildings were built - i think many in the 1950's. Albeit one which has become worse after gentrifying the exteriors with cladding that didn't pass health and safety regulations. The sudden evacuation measures makes me question their motivations. Alas, it could just be a knee-jerk reaction to tragedy the government is responsible for, and one they haven't full.

I don't live in a high rise (tower) but I do live in an apartment building that I rent on lease. If some authority figure came knocking on my door, late at night and told me I had to immediately vacate, due to security reasons and to expect "at least three to four weeks" before I'm allowed to return, what do you do in a moments notice???

Some people were directed to community buildings and centers, a few were given a hotel room "for one night" and other's were advised to find other accommodations (friends - family - whatever). First thing you're going to do is pack some clothes to hold you over for at least four weeks. What about ID's, important papers (lease contract) etc. and medications you might need. How many will walk out the door without a second thought, only to find out later, they are not allowed back to the apartment (yet) and can be arrested, if they try. For those who are employed, the problems are compounded.

On the financial end of it, most leases run from the beginning of the month and rent is due on the first. These people are being vacated towards the end of the month, with a good week to spare - will there be some type of adjustment - if and when they are allowed back in? In the event, the building is "condemned" are they allowed a grace period to enter their apartments to retrieve personal items, furniture, etc. Will they get their full rent deposit back?

If you are going to be away from the apt. for 3-4 weeks, what about contents in the refrigerator that can spoil? Some things you might be able to put in the freezer but what do you do with things you can't - take it with you or bag it up and throw good food in a dumpster? To be honest, the refrigerator would be the last thing I would think of, if I was given a short time limit to vacate the apartment.

One wonders if there wasn't a more humane and possibly cheaper solution to the problem ....

Good question?

After what happened at Grenfell Tower, I can understand the authorities concern with the other Tower's having the same cladding exterior, so it does look like a legitimate move on their part, to vacate the buildings until further inspections. They might even be mandated by certain Laws and Zoning Codes that require them to take these actions? Which brings me back to Grenfell Tower, there must have been a heavy loss of life during that fire for them to react this way .... worse case scenario, someone might be using this tragedy towards another agenda? If you could speculate, that most of the families in Grenfell were mid to lower income and about the same percentage in the other five Tower's that were just evacuated, if those other buildings were to be condemned - chances are the buildings will all be torn down. Most of these families probably can't afford the higher rents in this area, so will have to relocate to other areas.

For now, I'm just curious as to what is going to happen with these other five buildings and if the families will be allowed back in?

 

[angelburst29]

Re: Huge west London tower block inferno – reports RT

Thousands of residents in a sprawling North London housing estate were forced to leave their apartments late on Friday after fire checks carried out in the wake of the deadly Grenfell Tower blaze found the buildings to be unsafe.

Five London Tower Blocks Evacuated over Fire Safety Concerns
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960403001121

Amid chaotic scenes, residents clutching children, pets and small amounts of clothing and food emerged from five tower blocks to sleep on air beds in a local sports center after hearing on the news that their buildings were being evacuated, Reuters reported.

Fire checks have been carried out on some 600 high-rise buildings across England after a fire ravaged a social tower block in West London last week, killing at least 79 people.

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

Police investigating the cause of the deadly 24-storey Grenfell Tower blaze have announced that 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.

The fire has become a flashpoint for public anger at Prime Minister Theresa May's record in government and cuts to local authority budgets.

Grenfell Tower is situated 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.

The London Fire Brigade stressed that it had found a number of fire safety issues at the Chalcots Estate in Camden, north London, and advised that residents should leave the building until they were resolved.

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.

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

British police have said they are considering bringing manslaughter charges over the Grenfell fire, the most deadly blaze in London since World War Two.

Detective Superintendent Fiona McCormack was asked on Friday whether the insulation and aluminium tiles used on Grenfell were acceptable for such buildings. "No they're not," she said, adding that "All I can say at the moment is they don't pass any of the safety tests. So that will form part of what is a manslaughter investigation."

As well as possible manslaughter, police will consider health and safety offences and breaches of other building regulations.

Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott claimed that hundreds of people died in the Grenfell Tower tragedy.

Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott: Hundreds Died in Grenfell Tower Fire
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960404000550

The current death toll is at 79 but the shadow Home Secretary said she expected this to rise into the hundreds, the Independent reported.

The MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington blamed the disaster on Conservative attitudes towards social housing.

“Grenfell Tower is not just an accident; Grenfell Tower is not just an unfortunate incident. Those hundreds of people that died are a direct consequence of Tory attitudes in social housing,” Abbott told a conference of the Labour Progress group.

"The Tories think people in social housing are second-class citizens. And, as we have seen from Grenfell House, they are offering them second-class standards of safety. So, a direct consequence of that. A direct consequence of outsourcing ... and a direct consequence of deregulation," she stressed.

After the event, Abbott reaffirmed her belief the current death toll would be revised upwards.

"I think we are going to find that the numbers of people that have died will be in triple figures, just because it's a 23-storey (sic) block," she said.

Abbott added that people in Government needed to answer questions about why they did not implement recommendations made after previous fires.

The fire, which tore into the 24-storey high-rise in Kensington, has left scores of people without homes.

Jeremy Corbyn and senior Labour MPs, including Abbott, had called for properties left vacant in Kensington and Chelsea by overseas investors to be “requisitioned” in order to rehouse those who had been left homeless.