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Twenty flats destroyed in huge Barking flat fire
The cause of a huge flat fire that destroyed 20 flats and damaged 10 yesterday, after apparently spreading via wooden balconies, is under investigation.
Two people were treated for smoke inhalation at the scene, although there were no major injuries reported by emergency services.
The flames tore through the six-storey development at De Pass Gardens in Barking. Images on social media showed the building’s wooden balconies alight.
Wooden balconies. Fire in Barking as I type. This is why wooden construction can be lethal. Use steel, not difficult pic.twitter.com/KtZ2oFHtqX
— GBC (@GBC_TFP)Wooden balconies. Fire in Barking as I type. This is why wooden construction can be lethal. Use steel, not difficult pic.twitter.com/KtZ2oFHtqX
— GBC (@GBC_TFP) June 9, 2019
The fire brigade was called to the scene of the blaze at 3.30pm, with 100 firefighters and 15 fire engines attending the huge blaze.
The fire was just under control by just after 6pm, and the fire brigade said that the ground floor to the sixth floor were alight.
In the end, 20 flats were totally destroyed and 10 were damaged by heat and smoke.
There were a number of social housing units in the block owned by Southern Housing Group. The landlord is understood to have had a team on site until late last night.
The freehold of the block, Samuel Garside House, itself was owned by Adriatic Land, with management services provided by RMG, who are appointed by a company called Homeground.
The properties were built in 2012 by developer Bellway Homes before being sold to Adriatic.
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A spokesperson for HomeGround said: “Our primary concern is for the safety and wellbeing of the residents of Samuel Garside House whilst the building is made safe and the causes of the fire on Sunday are investigated.
“We are in the process of conducting thorough investigations and working with our managing agents, fire safety experts and insurers on the ground to make sure residents’ immediate needs are met. We are also engaging with the developer, Bellway Homes, who built these homes originally.”
The response on the ground is being led by Barking and Dagenham Council’s ’Gold Team’, which is due to issue a formal statement later.
At 10pm, Barking & Dagenham Council tweeted that all residents were housed for the night.
BARKING RIVERSIDE FIRE UPDATE 22:00: We’re pleased to say everyone affected by today’s fire has a home for the night & has been fed & clothed. Thanks to everyone for your support. There will no doubt be more action from LFB tomorrow as they continue to investigate the cause.
— Barking and Dagenham (@lbbdcouncil)BARKING RIVERSIDE FIRE UPDATE 22:00: We’re pleased to say everyone affected by today’s fire has a home for the night & has been fed & clothed. Thanks to everyone for your support. There will no doubt be more action from LFB tomorrow as they continue to investigate the cause.
— Barking and Dagenham (@lbbdcouncil) June 9, 2019
Residents said on social media that they had raised concerns about the timber balconies with the builder before the blaze.
In a statement to The Guardian, Bellway said: “We are taking the matter very seriously and working with all parties to help in establishing the cause of the fire.”
Fire on the Barking Riverside estate. Huge!!! Serious!!! Only a couple of weeks after the residents association specifically asked the builders @Bellway_Homes who said the wood cladding was fire retardant and perfectly safe @barkingriver @barkingriver @CllrDRodwell pic.twitter.com/nVeuy0xAXq
— Venilia Batista Amorim (@vbatistaamorim)Fire on the Barking Riverside estate. Huge!!! Serious!!! Only a couple of weeks after the residents association specifically asked the builders @Bellway_Homes who said the wood cladding was fire retardant and perfectly safe @barkingriver @barkingriver @CllrDRodwell pic.twitter.com/nVeuy0xAXq
— Venilia Batista Amorim (@vbatistaamorim) June 9, 2019
The block forms part of the Barking Riverside development, a joint venture between the Greater London Authority and L&Q. L&Q took over Bellway’s 49% stake in the joint venture in 2016.
However, these organisations do not own the property.
An L&Q spokesperson said: “This property was built by a private company and is now owned by a private landlord. As we have a large presence in the area, we have arranged for staff to open up our local office so we can assist residents.”
Alan Townshend, chief executive Southern Housing Group, added: “We are doing everything we can to assist and support our customers affected by the fire. We have brought in a team of colleagues who are on site and helping our residents and the agencies and emergency services. Our thoughts are with all those involved and our priority right now is to make sure everyone is safe and looked after.”
Inside Housing has asked both organisations if they have planned further investigations into the safety of other homes in the development.
Wooden balconies have been linked to fire spread in the past. A huge blaze tore up a block in Manchester on New Year’s Eve in 2017.
Writing for Inside Housing shortly after this fire, architect and fire safety expert Sam Webb said that modern building regulations contain no prohibition of wooden balconies.
Huge fire at block of flats in Barking, east London, now under control after tackled by 100 firefighters. Will raises more questions about post-Grenfell fire safety t.co/Pu8X2h8CQ2 pic.twitter.com/CjzJT1Eujq
— Graeme Demianyk (@GraemeDemianyk)Huge fire at block of flats in Barking, east London, now under control after tackled by 100 firefighters. Will raises more questions about post-Grenfell fire safety https://t.co/Pu8X2h8CQ2 pic.twitter.com/CjzJT1Eujq
— Graeme Demianyk (@GraemeDemianyk) June 9, 2019
He wrote: “There are no building regulations preventing the construction of timber balconies. As they do not use cladding or insulation, timber balconies are allowed.
“This is because before the abolition of the Greater London Council, everyone followed the London Building Acts line, which meant you couldn’t put wood on the outside of buildings unless it was a house. Today, in our more modern times, they are allowed.”
On Twitter, communities secretary James Brokenshire said: “Thanks to all those who responded to the serious fire in Barking, east London this afternoon. Understand that emergency accommodation is being provided by the LB of Barking & Dagenham for those who need it. Cause of the fire has yet to be confirmed. Am being kept updated.”
Sadiq Khan, mayor of London, said: “This shocking fire could easily have resulted in fatalities, and I am grateful to the London Fire Brigade and the local authority for acting as quickly as they did.
“Despite not having any responsibility or powers over this property, my City Hall team had been in contact with Adriatic Land and their agents Homeground urging them as the owner of the building to resolve issues previously raised by residents.
“We will be making further contact with them, Bellway Homes and Mace Group Ltd about fire safety at all Barking Riverside buildings, pushing for vital changes to be made and the safety of residents ensured."
Inside Housing’s End Our Cladding Scandal campaign is calling on government to make all dangerously clad private and social blocks safe.
End Our Cladding Scandal: campaign aims
- Government provides a fund to cover the cost of cladding removal and remedial works on private blocks
- A firm timescale is set out of no more than two years for the work to be carried out
- Residents are reimbursed for the interim fire safety costs incurred, and funding is to be provided for necessary internal fire safety measures identified by a competent fire risk assessor
- Terrie Alafat, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing, added: “It is shocking that out of the 176 private blocks with dangerous cladding that have been identified since Grenfell, only 10 have had the necessary safety work completed. While the government has pledged to fund the replacement of dangerous cladding in the social housing sector, there is no such promise for residents in private flats, which is why we are supporting Inside Housing’s new campaign to change this now.”
Kate Henderson, chief executive of the National Housing Federation said: "It should go without saying that everyone must be safe in their own home.
"But dangerous cladding has been used on tower blocks of all tenures across the country because government fire safety regulations were not fit for purpose. The government must now take financial responsibility for ensuring that each and every home affected, no matter who owns it, is made safe and fast.”
- Jane Duncan, chair of the Expert Advisory Group on Fire Safety at the Royal Institute of British Architects, said: “It is appalling that nearly two years on from the Grenfell Tower tragedy there are still buildings with cladding systems that have been identified as a risk to public safety. This must be rectified with immediate effect and individuals should not face financial hardship because of a past failure in regulation.”
Suzanne Richards, executive member for housing and regeneration at Manchester City Council, said: “I have heard first-hand the stories from residents about how living in a block that is not deemed fire safe can impact on their emotional health and well-being.
“On top of this they have the additional worry of the threat of bills, of up to £80,000 in some cases, landing on their doormat.
“This is unacceptable and government must now step in and fund post-Grenfell remediation works.”
Paula Higgins, chief executive of the HomeOwners Alliance, said: “Cladding has not been removed because freeholders and warranty providers do not want to take responsibility. These homeowners are stuck in a void with no end in sight.
“Government needs to bang heads together and find a solution quickly because these people have been sold a duff product. If no one will take responsibility then government must step in and take action to protect people urgently.”
Andy Dark, assistant general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, said: “It’s a scandal that residents who are living in tower blocks covered in flammable cladding and where basic fire safety is substandard have no certainty whatsoever that their homes will be made safe.
“Whether publicly or privately owned, the remedial work needs to be completed quickly and the government must take responsibility for getting the job done.”
Martin Boyd, chair of the Leasehold Knowledge Partnership, said: “It has taken far too long for government to take action to remove dangerous cladding from thousands of people’s homes.
“This has always been either the fault of regulations or the failing of the developer but nobody seems willing or able to challenge either group.”
Jim Fitzpatrick, Labour MP for Poplar and Limehouse and co-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Leasehold and Commonhold Reform, said: “No one should be left in the position of having worked and saved for years to become a property owner, to then learn – through no fault of their own – their home is no longer safe.
“This campaign rightly highlights the consequences of inaction and I urge the government to take responsibility as a matter of urgency.”
John Biggs, mayor of Tower Hamlets said: “I fully support the campaign from Inside Housing calling on the government to fully fund all works needed to remove dangerous cladding from all housing blocks.
“Ministers have rightly said their top priority must be to ensure that people are safe in their own homes, and it is entirely unfair to expect residents to find tens of thousands of pounds to fund this without any help whatsoever.”
Rushanara Ali, Labour MP for Bethnal Green and Bow, said: “It is outrageous that two years after the Grenfell disaster there are still 40,000 leaseholders across the UK who are stuck living in unsafe blocks with dangerous cladding.
“The government must move fast to replace flammable cladding on every building, no matter who owns it, and must do it now.”
- David Walker, bishop of Manchester, said: "In Manchester and beyond, many months after the Grenfell tragedy, too many people are still living in apartments that do not adequately protect them against fire. Many are now faced with five figure bills to make good the deficiencies, and find their homes have become practicably unmortgageable. I applaud the efforts of Manchester Cladiators to bring together residents and others who share their concerns. The challenge is simple, to get developers, freehold owners and government to step up to the plate and accept responsibility for urgently rectifying this scandalous state of affairs."
