'Everyone accounted for' in huge fire which engulfed tower block in east London with 'known fire safety issue'
26 August 2024, 08:06 | Updated: 26 August 2024, 17:23
The London Fire Brigade has said everyone has been accounted for in a fire which engulfed a building in Dagenham, east London, and the previously declared major incident has been stood down.
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More than 100 people were evacuated and two taken to hospital, with forty fire engines and around 225 firefighters attending the blaze at a block of flats on Freshwater Road in Dagenham, East London.
In a statement, London Fire Commissioner Andy Roe said: "I am pleased to confirm that everyone has been accounted for.
"More than 80 people were evacuated with firefighters leading residents out to safety and carrying out 10 rescues including using fire escape hoods, which can provide 15 minutes of clean, filtered air in smoke-filled environments, helping individuals stay safe until they can be rescued or reach safety.
"Four people were treated on scene by London Ambulance Service crews, with two taken to hospital."
He added: "I am immensely grateful to the crews and officers who have operated in the most dangerous conditions to both rescue people and bring the incident under control despite being faced with a significant building failure."
The brigade said parts of the scaffolding surrounding the building, as well as the ground floor and the roof, were alight.
The building, which they described as a mixed-use residential and commercial building, was known to have "a number of fire safety issues".
A planning application from 2023 shows that the building was covered in "non-compliant" cladding.
The scaffolding around the building was put in place to remove the cladding on the fifth and sixth floors when the fire started.
Plumes of smoke could be seen rising into the sky as 40 fire engines and 225 firefighters responded.
Questions around the role of cladding in the fire will "form part" of the investigation into the incident, a spokesman for London Fire Brigade has said.
When asked by reporters at the scene "how big a part did cladding play" in the fire, and how close the incident was to a "bigger disaster", Assistant Commissioner Patrick Goulbourne said: "What I wouldn't want to do is pre-empt an investigation.
"This was a very, very dynamic incident, and clearly it's going to require a very complex investigation, not only to get to its cause, but to get to an understanding of the fire spread - so it's it's too early at this time to be able to give any detail on that, but that will form part of our investigation in the coming days."
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More than 100 people were evacuated from the building with four people treated at the scene, two people taken to hospital, and a "significant search and rescue operation" put in place.
Resident, Mohammad (whose wife is six months pregnant), told LBC: "(I) finished work at 1am, finished my shower, I was in my living room and my wife (said) to me, "do you smell burning?"
"She thought it was her hairdryer but after she turned it off, she looked out the kitchen window and sees the whole building's engulfed in flames.
"She got dressed, I put on my sandals, we headed out, got downstairs and as soon as we exited the building, it was raining fire.
"We were evacuated by the fire brigade, making sure our safety was their top priority, they made us move to a safe distance, it was a very horrendous fire."
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"If it wasn't for my wife's nose because she's six months pregnant, her heightened sense, I could say (it) saved our lives.
"Imagine coming down in that state with her, what our minds were going through, our first child on the way. Just imagine how that was, no fire alarms, no warnings.
"A woman's intuition of what's going on saved three of our lives potentially".
The London Fire Brigade (LFB) said it was called at 2.44am on Monday with crews from Dagenham, Ilford, Romford, Barking and surrounding fire stations at the scene.
Station Commander Alan Bendell, who was at the scene of the 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."
The cause of the fire remains unknown.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper thanked firefighters and other emergency workers for their "bravery and swift response" to the Dagenham fire.
She said: "My thoughts are with all those affected by the major fire incident in Dagenham.
"I thank London Fire Brigade & all emergency services on the ground for their bravery and swift response."
She said ministers were being kept updated on the incident.
