BBC NEWS | UK | England | London | Probe into fatal tower block fire

A tower block fire that left six people dead, including a three-week-old baby and two children, is being treated as suspicious until a cause is determined.
About 30 people were rescued from the fire at the 12-storey Lakanal House on the Sceaux Gardens Estate, Camberwell.

The blaze started on the ninth floor, at 1620 BST on Friday.

Ch Supt Wayne Chance said: "We would always treat a situation like this as suspicious because we don't know the cause... in the first instance."

Mr Chance said residents were not being allowed back into the premises because it was being treated as a crime scene.

He said the fire, which was tackled by more than 100 firefighters, had spread rapidly to the 11th floor.



Police: "No information to suggest that any of the victims were particularly targetted"
The bodies of a six-year-old child and two adults were found at the scene. The three-week-old baby, a seven-year-old child, and a woman were later pronounced dead in hospital.


this fire happened a few hundred yards where damilola taylor died....
just over the border in peckham

Saint Sage

It is terrible news indeed. It is said that the fire station was close by but did not respond in time.
I actually read that some people were on the phone to their relatives for about an hour. There seems to be a lot of anger about rescue being delayed, and rightfully so.
It's just so sad.

no way ! i went to oliver goldsmith too !...

even though i don't really live in peckham anymore, i can understand why the fire took so long to be put out.
it took over a hundred fire fighters to take out the blaze. the fire station opposite oliver goldsmith only has two fire engines and about ten crew a piece... it does take time to asses the situation and co-ordinate over a hundred fire fighters to respond, at least thats what the fire figters would say.

true points.... if that building was privately run ( i.e. a building of bussiness) it would have been forced to have atleast two fire exits....also the materials look cheap ( the side panels being made of plastic )... the real scandal is there are manty many buildings that have been created in the 60's that wouldn't pass minimum safety standards today.....thats one of the reasons why most of the north peckham estate was redeveloped.

Very sad for all those affected. Putting it into context, it seems this is (touch wood) the worst incident of it's kind in the thousands of high rise residential properties that have been around for over 30 years, so for some reason it's an aberration. Everyone is trying not to have the blame pinned on them, the firebrigade union have joined the list of those calling for a public inquiry as they feel their members are getting the blame in initial news reports. Harriet Harman has managed to look all touchy feely caring crusading local MP as opposed to deputy to a beleaguered PM. I believe that particular estate had undergone a recent "refurbishment" which you would have thought would have dealt with issues of safty - more likely "refurbishment"= a bit of paint on the outer cladding. On the wider aspect of housing, it is unrealist not to have high rise buildings to solve issues of the lack of social housing in London. Any action based on media pressure (and NOT on the results of an investigation) to knock this and other high rises down in the area will result in the loss of more social housing and longer waiting lists.

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even though the larkanal estate was close to north peckham ( the area of urban renewal ) it was just over the border in camberwell and doesn't ( as far as i know) have to be demolished .

Southwark Council knew a south London tower block where six people died was a fire risk, a BBC London investigation has discovered.

In 2000 the council surveyed 200 tower blocks, identifying 13 that "may pose a fire risk or risk of a fire spread".

Four of the 13 buildings were then demolished - but Lakanal House in Camberwell, gutted by fire on 3 July, was allowed to remain inhabited.

Southwark Council said it carried out works in 2007 to improve fire safety.

BBC London has obtained the report into the safety of Southwark's tower blocks that was commissioned in 2000 by a parliamentary committee investigating a fire at a building in Scotland.

The council's report rated all five buildings on the Sceaux Gardens estate, including Lakanal House, as a medium fire risk - "where elements of construction may pose a fire risk, or a risk of fire spread."

Lakanal House had a "risk of localised fire spread between wall panelled sections", the report carried out by Southwark Building Design Service said.

Further assessment of all the blocks on the Sceaux Gardens estate "may be of benefit", it added.

Lakanal House was due to be demolished under the council's Labour administration.

But Labour councillor Ian Wingfield told the BBC that when the council changed hands to Liberal Democrat the new administration decided to keep Lakanal House.

In a statement Southwark Council said the 2000 report found "no high risk blocks" in the area.

'Total scandal'

One resident, who asked to remain anonymous, said: "It is a total scandal.

"Once all the facts come out people will be shocked. I just wish my partner was not dead - I am a mess."

Maria Trindade, who survived the fire but lost her 26-year-old friend Dayana Francisquini, added: "I feel really angry. They knew the block was a danger for all the tenants but did nothing.

"I spoke to Dayana the morning she lost her life - I had no idea in a couple of hours she would be dead."

After the 2000 report, Southwark Council did not act for seven years.

But in 2007 they replaced some window frames and wall panels in an attempt to improve safety.

BBC London's questions about how many windows and panels were replaced and which materials were used have not been answered.

The council also refused to confirm whether a new fire assessment was done after the refurbishment.

Ms Francisquini said her replacement window frames were plastic, not non-flammable aluminium.

'Toxic fumes'

Architect Sam Webb, an expert in the safety of post-war social housing, raised the possibility that melting plastic windows helped spread the fire downwards.

After visiting the scene on 6 July, he said: "All the facades and window frames were replaced with flammable uPVC which melts in fire, releasing toxic fumes.

"I am not sure how that was ever allowed on such a high block and it was undoubtedly a major cause of the fire spread."

Bob Wilkinson, a firefighter with 20 years experience in London, said: "I would be very annoyed that they knew it was unsafe but did nothing about it.

He added: "Common sense says they should have done something."

The report carried out by Southwark Council was requested by a parliamentary committee in 1999 after a 14-storey block in Scotland "went up like a match", killing a disabled resident.

That fire was blamed on external cladding which led to "unexpectedly rapid fire spread".

'Complex fire'

The committee warned there could be "a disaster waiting to happen", and concluded: "We do not believe it should take a serious fire in which many people are killed before all reasonable steps are taken towards minimising risks."

Harriet Harman, Labour Party deputy leader and MP for Camberwell and Peckham, said she would raise the revelations with Communities Secretary John Denham.

She said: "This is exactly why a public inquiry into the fire is essential."

A statement from Southwark Council said: "The safety and well being of our residents is a priority for the council and we reject any allegation that we do not take these responsibilities seriously.

"The fire at Lakanal was complex with a number of issues that are being investigated by a number of authorities, including the council."

BBC NEWS | UK | England | London | Council knew tower was fire risk

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