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Grenfell internal fire spread

Once again, discussion of the reasons behind the Grenfell disaster focus only on the inflammable cladding panels (NCE, July). However, in a report by Dave Parker in the August 2017 edition of NCE, it was spelt out very clearly that the fire which engulfed all four sides of the Grenfell Tower could not have spread solely through the cladding.

​Although the report maintains that vertical spreading of fire is inevitable, even if the cladding is completely incombustible, horizontal spread of fire internally or externally is virtually unknown in residential buildings in developed countries – open plan offices behave very differently.

Fire spreads naturally from one compartment, in this case a flat, to those above, although in this case, fanned by the wind, it also spread along one face of the building above the fourth floor.

In order for the fire to have spread to all four faces of the Grenfell Tower, there must have been progression inside the building, jumping across corridors by means of inadequate fire doors or poorly sealed services openings, the latter most likely the result of sub-standard work during the building’s recent renovation.

Thus, while attention will rightly be focused on the flammability of external cladding, smoke evacuation, means of escape, fire safety certification and emergency response procedures, equal attention must also be paid to ensuring that such internal fire spread cannot happen – this is what contributed significantly to the truly horrific death toll in this fire.

Melvin Hurst (M), melvinhurst@yahoo.co.uk

The Editor, New Civil Engineer,
​4th Floor, Harmsworth House, 13-15 Bouverie Street, London EC4Y 8DP
​Email: nceedit@emap.com

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