High Rise Fire

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I am not Becko:rolleyes:

Should we bring in new legislation to have our fridges serviced once a year and for landlords to get a Fridge safety Certificates? ;)
 
I can only speculate as to why someone would be so selfish as to pack his belongings in his bags and get ready to go and only alert one neighbour on his way out to safety, what was so important in his bags that was worth saving? all those poor people trapped on upper floors, did he not think of the consequences of his fridge fire spreading , instead of packing his bags, he could be filling a bucket of water to put the fire out, or used fire extinguishers that are suppose to be available for residents of towers! I can't help speculating. Who could have been this selfish!

I did just that when holidaying in India where a real fire broke at an Indian temple full of worshippers near their Diwali festival time, temples were full of hundreds of people! visitors, and there was this massive electrical short circuit that started a small fire, if not tackled in time it could have gone massive and untackled, The incoming 3 phase, 440V cable and header was on fire! it was crackling with sparks flying everywhere, the black bitumen melting with flames, falling on some sacks of wheat flour stored under the distribution board, these started to burn with flames.

I looked around to see if there were any fire extinguishers, then I realised I was in India! there were no fire extinguishers! they don't know what they are ! I was with my cousin both visiting India, whom I had sent down to alert the security guard at the entrance, whilst I continued to tackle and beat the flames.

I did not hesitate to fight that fire with my bare hands, I pulled burning sacks of wheat flour away from under the distribution board, beating the flames with my jacket and a broom I found the only other item to tackle the flames, then suddenly there was this tremendous bang and a massive flash, I was sent flying back, ( not sure if it was my own reflex or whether something physically sent me flying back) all power went off, the crackling also stopped, and the whole place became pitch dark.

Only then I panicked because I could not see any thing apart from flames, and realised that sooner or later if that fire was not fully tackled, and if i fled or left that darkened room, and flames could spread and reach outside the distribution room, and it could be disastrous, when people realise the temple is on fire! this could set a massive stampede as people try to escape through one exit.

as I started to panic thinking of this stampede, so briefly came out of the room just to see if there was any panic setting among the worshippers, there was none, in India they are used to power cuts every few hours.

Then luckily somehow, just 15 or so seconds later the back up generator came on all lights came back on, I went back in that room to finish off the fire! If fire had broken out of this distribution room, there were hundreds of flammable decorative cotton fabric sheets everywhere in that temple, fire would have spread like a lightening.

Luckily, I just happen to be near this electrical distribution room door, when I heard this terrific bang, others near me ignored this bang and continued past this door, perhaps thinking it was some fire works, outside, ( fire works are common in India during diwali festival,) But I knew it was not the sound of a fire cracker, bangs from electrical shorts are very short and sharp, I immediately recognised the sound of this bang as an electrical short circuit. I opened the door and saw sacks of wheat flour on fire, crackling noises from arcing mains incoming cable, I work with electricity so I was not too afraid to go near a distribution board!

I never felt so heroic in my life! As soon as the fire was put out, my cousin and I both left that temple and no one had any idea how I managed to single handedly tackle an electrical fire without any fire extinguisher and used what I had with me, the security guard outside was told by my cousin, but either he didn't understand English, or he simply ignored him.

I dare think of the consequences of a major fire in that temple, it was a famous temple and hundreds of visitors visit it from all over, my estimate is there must be close to around 500 to 800 people in it at the time, on two floors, outside the streets were so narrow and over crowded that even a scooter would have had a problem negotiating through the shear mass of people, stalls, and what not, let alone a fire engine!
 
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http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...ty-warnings-ignored-tower-block-a7790501.html

The coroner's report into Lakanal House had recommended regulations be updated, and called for developers refurbishing high-rise blocks to be encouraged to install sprinkler systems.

But five years later, Mr Lewis told MPs: “We believe that it is the responsibility of the fire industry, rather than the Government, to market fire sprinkler systems effectively and to encourage their wider installation.”

He added: “The cost of fitting a fire sprinkler system may affect house building – something we want to encourage – so we must wait to see what impact that regulation has.”

Also:

Following the fire, the group posted: “All our warnings fell on deaf ears and we predicted that a catastrophe like this was inevitable and just a matter of time.”
 
Mikefromlondon said:
Respect for what terrorism, you pathetic preacher!
You are a complete idiot, I only suggested a possible reason for fridge exploding can only be due to unstable chemicals stored in it, fridges don't explode on their own, ****s sake how many fridges have you actually seen explode?
Click to expand...
For all the DM readers.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...tion-toxic-gas-s-dangerous-appliance-all.html

So where did this rampant blaze start? Noel’s fridge-freezer, said firefighters. Indeed, this most basic of household appliances is where hundreds of house fires start every year.

In the past five years, London Fire Brigade has attended at least one blaze every week — 260 in total — involving fridges and freezers. These have led to 71 serious injuries — and seven deaths.
 
Mikefromlondon said:
I can only speculate as to why someone would be so selfish as to pack his belongings in his bags and get ready to go and only alert one neighbour on his way out to safety, what was so important in his bags that was worth saving? all those poor people trapped on upper floors, did he not think of the consequences of his fridge fire spreading , instead of packing his bags, he could be filling a bucket of water to put the fire out, or used fire extinguishers that are suppose to be available for residents of towers! I can't help speculating. Who could have been this selfish!

I did just that when holidaying in India where a real fire broke at an Indian temple full of worshippers near their Diwali festival time, temples were full of hundreds of people! visitors, and there was this massive electrical fire 440V header was on fire! a 3" thick 3 phase mains cable was crackling with sparks flying everywhere, the black bitumen melting with flames, falling on sacks of wheat flour stored under the distribution board, which were on flames, I looked around to see if there were any fire extinguishers, then I realised I was in India! there were no fire extinguishers! they don't know what they are! I was with my cousin visiting India, whom I had sent down to alert the security guard at the entrance, whilst I continued to tackle and beat the flames, I did not hesitate to fight that fire with my bare hands, I pulled burning sacks of wheat flour from under the distribution board, beating the flames with my jacket and a broom, then suddenly there was this thunderous bang and massive flash, I was sent flying back, ( not sure if it was my reflex or whether something physically sent me flying back) all power went off , crackling stopped, and it became pitch dark, I panicked because I could not see a thing, and realised that sooner or later if that fire was not fully tackled, and if i left that darkened room, and flames could retake grip once more and spread outside the distribution room, then when people see this fire, there could be a massive stampede, but in pitch darkness I started to panic as well fearing stampede, so i came out of the room just to see if there was any panic setting among worshippers, there was none, in India they are used to power cuts every few hours, if hundreds of people in that temple realised what was about to happen, then luckily somehow, just 15 or so seconds later the back up generator came on , all lights came back on, I went back in to finish off the fire! If fire had broken out of this distribution room, there were hundreds of flammable decorative cotton fabric sheets everywhere in that temple, fire would have spread like a lightening , I just happen to be near this electrical distribution room just by its door, when I heard this terrific bang, others near me ignored it perhaps thinking it was some fire works, outside, ( fire works are common in India during diwali festival,) But I knew it was not the sound of a fire cracker, bangs from electrical shorts are very short and sharp, I immediately recognised the sound of this bang as an electrical short circuit. I opened the door and saw sacks of wheat flour on fire, crackling noises from arcing mains incoming cable, I work with electricity so I was not too afraid to go near a distribution board! I never felt so heroic in my life! As soon as the fire was put out, I simply left that temple and no one had any idea how I single handedly tackled an electrical fire without any fire extinguisher and used what I had with me, the security guard outside was told by my cousin, but either he didn't understand English, or he simply ignored him. I dare think of the consequences of a major fire in that temple, outside the streets were so narrow and over crowded that even a scooter would have had a problem negotiating through the shear mass of people, stalls, and what not, let alone a fire engine!
Click to expand...

Great story. Are you Indian?
 
Kankerot said:
For all the DM readers.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...tion-toxic-gas-s-dangerous-appliance-all.html

So where did this rampant blaze start? Noel’s fridge-freezer, said firefighters. Indeed, this most basic of household appliances is where hundreds of house fires start every year.

In the past five years, London Fire Brigade has attended at least one blaze every week — 260 in total — involving fridges and freezers. These have led to 71 serious injuries — and seven deaths.
Click to expand...
The point is, this man was awake, he knew his fridge was on fire, so what does he do? he starts to pack up his belongings, ready to leave,
what he should have done is disconnected his fridge from mains, or tuned off the power circuits (not light circuits) off at the consumer unit, poured water to dampen the flames, or go to the stair well and get hold of a fire extinguisher and used that to tackle the fire, failing that he should have woken up other residents who each should alert others on upper floors, like a chain of command if the fire alarm was not working, may be then he could have claimed to be a hero!

I suppose most tenants wouldn't even know how to use a fire extinguisher due to panic, all these things should be taught to occupiers of high rise properties, fire is best tackled when it is in its early stages, after it takes hold, it can be exteremly difficult to bring it under control. Perhaps the local fire officers should hold demo days for training residents by showing them how to use a fire extinguisher, carry out escape drills, and how about emergency rope type ladders released automatically from top of buildings on fire, some people did try tying knots to bed sheets to escape.

I am absolutely gutted for the people who lost their lives and gutted for the loved ones, heart wrenching stories I read on DM. Hard to believe really that this could have happened in Uk anywhere, where the fire legislation is so strict!
 
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i will be writing to our Mayor to cancel this summer's fire works and send all the money that would have been spent on it to the families of the victims of this fire, let us see how sensitive he is, or if he has any respect for the dead. Let us see if he is truly worthy of a title of Sir Robin Wales
 
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Really awful to see the socialist worker turning up to stir trouble. I haven't seen them out an about for years.
 
Mikefromlondon said:
The point is, this man was awake, he knew his fridge was on fire, so what does he do? he starts to pack up his belongings, ready to leave,
what he should have done is disconnected his fridge from mains, or tuned off the power circuits (not light circuits) off at the consumer unit, poured water to dampen the flames, or go to the stair well and get hold of a fire extinguisher and used that to tackle the fire, failing that he should have woken up other residents who each should alert others on upper floors, like a chain of command if the fire alarm was not working, may be then he could have claimed to be a hero!

I suppose most tenants wouldn't even know how to use a fire extinguisher due to panic, all these things should be taught to occupiers of high rise properties, fire is best tackled when it is in its early stages, after it takes hold, it can be exteremly difficult to bring it under control. Perhaps the local fire officers should hold demo days for training residents by showing them how to use a fire extinguisher, carry out escape drills, and how about emergency rope type ladders released automatically from top of buildings on fire, some people did try tying knots to bed sheets to escape.

I am absolutely gutted for the people who lost their lives and gutted for the loved ones, heart wrenching stories I read on DM. Hard to believe really that this could have happened in Uk anywhere, where the fire legislation is so strict!
Click to expand...

I am not defending his actions but how do you know what he should have done when you were not even there? Do you have some mystical device that can peer into the past?

I thought fire safety 101 was not pouring fire on an electrical fire. Also it has been mentioned that in many of these tower blocks there was no fire extinguisher. Don't know whether that was the case in this block.

However if you look at the timeline the fire brigade was on site within 6 minutes and were unable to control the spread.
 
Mikefromlondon said:
i will be writing to our Mayor to cancel this summer's fire works and send all the money that would have been spent on it to the families of the victims of this fire, let us see how sensitive he is, or if he has any respect for the dead. Let us see if he is truly worthy of a title of Sir Robin Wales
Click to expand...

That is your opinion but if the majority disagree shouldn't he go with the will of the people. You seem to have decided your opinion of him and now look for reasons to confirm that - classic confirmational bias.
 
Kankerot said:
That is your opinion but if the majority disagree shouldn't he go with the will of the people. You seem to have decided your opinion of him and now look for reasons to confirm that - classic confirmational bias.
Click to expand...

Baseless bullsh1t, you don't speak for anyone but yourself.
 
Any one with relevant information should contact the inquiry team.

The Metropolitan Police Service is leading the investigation into the fire at Grenfell Tower.

The investigation team is being drawn together from detectives from across the Met, led by Detective Chief Inspector Matt Bonner of the Homicide and Major Crime Command.
 
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