A major incident has been declared after a huge blaze broke out at a London tower block with ‘non-compliant cladding’ in the middle of the night.
Some 40 fire engines and 225 firefighters have been sent to battle the blaze on Freshwater Road in Dagenham, east London, which saw more than 100 people evacuated and two people taken to hospital.
The London Fire Brigade (LFB), which was called at 2.44am, said parts of the scaffolding surrounding the building, as well as the ground floor and the roof, were alight.
The London Ambulance Service said it treated four patients at the scene and took two of them to hospital. Their condition is unknown at this stage.
Shocking images show huge flames ripping through the residential and commercial building, with firefighters desperately trying to put out the fire. The cause of the blaze, which has resulted in thick plumes of smoke billowing into the sky, is not yet known.
But the building, called Spectrum House, has a ‘number of fire safety issues known to London Fire Brigade’.
Work was also underway to remove ‘non-compliant cladding’ on the building, which is why it was covered in scaffolding.
Valcan, a leading company in architectural cladding systems, posted six days ago that it was carrying out ‘remedial work to external cladding to the fifth and sixth floors and ‘removing the non-compliant cladding’.
Cladding is typically fitted to the outside of high-rise buildings to improve their insulation and appearance. But campaigners have long been calling for the Government to fix the building safety crisis by replacing unsafe cladding.
More than 100 people were evacuated from a high-rise block of flats which became engulfed in flames in the middle of the night
Some 40 fire engines and around 225 firefighters were sent to battle the blaze on Freshwater Road, which has left two people in hospital
Firefighters work hard to try and put the terrifying blaze out after a fire broke out in the night
Nearby residents have been told to shut their windows and doors due to smoke billowing into the sky
Images from this morning shows burnt out parts of the building, with firefighters attempting to calm down the blaze
In June 2017, a fire ripped through Grenfell Tower, a 24-storey high-rise in west London, killing 72 people, with the blaze spreading rapidly due to the highly combustible cladding on the block’s outside walls. A public inquiry into the disaster is still ongoing.
London Fire Commissioner Andy Roe said the LFB had declared a major incident in Dagenham to allow the service to focus its resources on the fire.
He continued: “The building has a number of fire safety issues known to London Fire Brigade.
“A full simultaneous evacuation of the building was immediately carried out and a significant search and rescue operation is under way.”
“The Brigade has stood up full strategic arrangements to deal with the incident and a rest centre has been set up at Beacontree Health and Leisure Centre.
“LFB officers are stationed at the rest centre to support residents,” he added.
New drones are being deployed to tackle the blaze, along with 64-metre and 32-metre turntable ladders that are being used as vantage points to assess the scene and to douse the flames with water from above, Mr Roe said.
Station Commander Alan Bendell, who is at the scene of the Dagenham fire, said: ‘The fire is producing heavy smoke and we’re advising local residents to keep windows and doors closed.
‘Two of the Brigade’s 32-metre turntable ladders are being used at the scene as aerial water towers to assist with tackling the fire from height.
‘Freshwater Road is closed to traffic, so please avoid the area where possible.’
Several ambulances are parked nearby to the blaze and an air ambulance was also dispatched.
A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said: ‘We were called at 2:52am today (26 August) to reports of a fire on Freshwater Road in Dagenham.
‘We sent a large number of resources to the scene, including ambulance crews, incident response officers, an advanced paramedic in critical care, emergency planning officers, a command support vehicle and members of our hazardous area response team (HART).
‘We also dispatched London’s Air Ambulance.’
A paramedic with a face mask as firefighters work at the scene of a large fire
The London Ambulance Service said it treated four patients at the scene and took two of them to hospital
Crews from Dagenham, Ilford, Romford, Barking and surrounding fire stations are at the scene
LFB is describing the property as a ‘mixed-used residential and commercial building’. Pictured is the building this morning
‘We treated four patients at the scene and took two of them to a hospital.’
Crews from Dagenham, Ilford, Romford, Barking and surrounding fire stations are at the scene.
LFB is describing the property as a ‘mixed-used residential and commercial building’. The BBC reports that more than 100 people were evacuated.