All people have been “accounted for” after a fire engulfed a multistorey building in Dagenham, East London, with “known” safety issues, the London Fire Brigade (LFB) have said.
More than 80 people were evacuated and two were taken to hospital after the fire broke out in the building that is used for residential and commercial purposes, the fire service said.
The LFB said it was called to the blaze in Freshwater Road at 2.44am on Monday where 20 people were rescued following a “significant search-and-rescue operation”.
The fire service said 45 engines and around 225 firefighters responded to the blaze that engulfed the whole building, including scaffolding surrounding the property and the roof. The London Ambulance Service treated four people at the scene, according to the LFB.
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The property was undergoing “remedial” work to remove and replace “non-compliant cladding” on the fifth and sixth floors containing flats, according to a planning application document.
An investigation into the fire has begun, during which questions around the role of cladding will “form part” of the probe, the LFB’s Assistant Commissioner Patrick Goulbourne 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”, Mr 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 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.”
London Fire Commissioner Andy Roe said: “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 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 took place.
“I am pleased to confirm that everyone has been accounted for.”
A resident of the building said the incident felt like “a nightmare” and that she felt “frightened to be on the street starting from zero”.
Irina Vasile (46) a healthcare assistant who lived on the second floor, said she was woken by her partner around 3am telling her there was smoke.
Speaking outside the Becontree Heath Leisure Centre where the residents have been relocated, she told reporters: “(There was) such a dense smoke all over the apartment. When we wanted to open the window, another smoke hit our face, on the throat and the eyes.”
Ms Vasile said she was spotted by firefighters after shouting for help and calling 999.
She said: “We didn’t grab nothing – we lost everything. The firemen bring us outside, and while I came outside, I’ve seen a big fire come from the building on the ground floor, and when we went further, I’ve seen another big fire on the top.”
The resident said she did not hear a fire alarm go off during the evacuation.
She added: “My partner is devastated as well. We try to encourage one another because we lost everything. We are scared, frightened to be on the street starting from zero.”
Another resident described the incident as “very terrible” and said he was coughing up “black” from the smoke.
Sam Ogbeide, who lives on the fourth floor, told reporters: “I opened my main door, smoke was coming in from the window – I live at the back. I saw it (the fire). Very terrible, very terrible.
Mr Ogbeide said it was very busy in the building’s stairwell with fellow residents who “didn’t bring anything” when evacuating, with some still “naked”.
He said: “I’ve never experienced something like this in my life. Everything is gone. I don’t know what to do.”
Asked if he felt OK, the resident added: “I’m not feeling OK. All my mouth is bitter because I feel the smoke in me.
“When I cough, you see the black.”
Mr Ogbeide later told the PA news agency he did not see any water sprinklers in the building, but did hear a fire alarm.
Another witness living near the building said he heard people “screaming” as the incident unfolded.
Ahmed, 44, of Kemp Road, which is a few hundred yards from the property, told PA: “When I woke up, I saw the fire engines, the helicopters and obviously the smoke everywhere.
“People were screaming.”
Mr Roe said a “rest centre” for people impacted by the incident had been set up at the nearby Beacontree Health and Leisure Centre where LFB officers and community support team members are providing support to residents.
Local MP Margaret Mullane said the fire had resulted in “minimal” injuries because of the swift response of the emergency services.
New drones were deployed to tackle the blaze, along with 210ft (64m) and 105ft (32m) turntable ladders that were used as vantage points to assess the scene and to douse the flames with water from above, Mr Roe said.
A major incident was declared by the LFB which was stood down at 11.03am. Crews will remain at the scene on Tuesday to carry out “further operations”, he added.
The LFB originally stated that more than 100 people had been evacuated and later updated the figure to more than 80. – PA