Just before 01:00 on 14 June a fire broke out in the kitchen of a fourth floor flat at the 23rd storey tower block in North Kensington, West London.
In just a couple of devastating minutes the fire had raced up the exterior of the building and then had spread to all four sides of Grenfell tower. More than 200 firefighters and 40 fire engines responded to the fire at the 24-storey block in North Kensington.
Many people filmed the fire and therefore the police were able to identify where the fire had started and the sheer might of this catastrophic event. As well as this flammable cladding which was installed on Grenfell Tower in a recent renovation is thought to have contributed to the rapid spread of the fire. Both the cladding and insulation on the outside of the building failed all preliminary tests by the police. Moreover, the insulation samples burned more quickly than the cladding tiles according to tests carried out by the police.
Unfortunately, seventy-two innocent souls were lost that day. Despite this the head of The London Fire Brigade states that she would not have changed anything about the way her crews responded to the Grenfell Tower fire.
Even major UK politicians gave their condolences. Jeremy Corbyn released this statement after the tragic Grenfell Tower fire had been put under control, “Devastated to see what has happened at Grenfell Tower. My thoughts are with those affected. Thank you to our firefighters & emergency services.”
