yes, I heard about the dry risers. If I understand right, they are just pipes that CAN be hooked up to a strong water source to use in case of fire, but are not hooked up until there is a fire, providing the fire department can get there in time. Correct me if I'm wrong.

By the way, I get at least some of my versions from the BBC. I don't know if you have any more respect for them than the US sources.

I also heard that the materials used did indeed pass existing regulations, but that it was nevertheless flammable (or inflammable, depending on your local definition of each term), and was the primary suspected reason for the conflagration. If regulations allow materials which cause buildings to kill most of their occupants, that would suggest that the regulations are faulty, yes?

Hi, yes that is correct about the dry risers.
I'm only $issed with the nyt over the Manchester bombing for releasing
Sensitive information. The bbc isn't that bad but is selective in my opinion.
Yes the regulations need amendments by the looks of it.
Saying 'allow to kill 'is a bit strong, this was an incident that would have been unlikely to happen so the rating of the material wouldn't of be as high as a material used inside.
I think there must be an installation issue to.
The cladding must of had voids between it and the old building that enabled a strong draft fueling the fire.
Saying that a material is flammable is a bit of a tough one, any material will burn if the temperature is high enough,.
It is fire rated, ie,fire doors are rated, 30 minutes, 1 hour and so on depending on location.
No one would expect a building to burn from the outside, they will learn by this, after all, this is how things evolve unfortunately.

There is a documentary on BBC about the tower block fire (panorama )
Not sure you can get it in the u.s

I had so much to say about this

Well, I had to look way back for this thread.
One year on from the Grenville tower disaster.
Where has that year gone?
Still major inquiries going on and a hand full of people still not re housed.
I think most of the people that were here then are still here now on mingle.
We've shared so much this year and it's been cool, even if people don't always agree!
Thanks

Wow, hard to believe a year's gone by already.

Hopefully those who didn't get rehoused are being taken care of by families or the community.

Mikey,

wasnt there a fire a few years in London, pretty much the same thing, something about shoddy materials used to build the apartments and it was a fire hazard?

Dg, this was the Grenfell tower disaster a year ago.
I think you may be right, but I don't think as many were killed.
Really they need pulling down. They were mostly built to ease the housing crisis of the 60s and 70's.
There was one that partly collapsed out of the blue!
The reason for cladding the outside is mainly for insulation and to smarten them up.

yes yes, its coming back to me now
I remember reading about that and thought wow .

It was wow, it went up so quickly!
Protocol says for people to stay put and be rescued, it didn't happen!

Terrible awful tragedy! I missed this news!

It is terrible but I am surprised it does not happen more.

I build and retrofit buildings in NYC and the older ones, built before a certain date do NOT have to have sprinklers.. it is " grandfathered in"

Time bombs

My ex installs and maintaines fire sprinklers. Sometimes people just don't pay and the sprinklers sit damaged etc. He says churches are the main ones who don't pay. They eventually get in trouble but it's takes time.

Sprinklers are usually in the public areas, stairway etc but not in this case. I think it should be law that each flat /apartment has fire extinguishers etc. Every home should do anyway surely?
And definitely East, they get vandalised!

mikey,

what is the latest update?

Hi diserli,
The inquiry is on going. It will take ages I'd think.
I did hear that there is a lot of blame being thrown around.
The manufacturer of the insulation is blaming poor installation, guess that's possible as if the panels did have gaps then that would fuel the fire with air flow. The fire brigade is being criticised for not evacuating the building. Each flat is meant to have a fire door upto 1 hour protection. The guy who's flat it started in (fridge caught fire)has gone into hiding as originally he said he alerted other residents but it's believed he didn't and was more interested in packing his belongings.

Just for clarification, any pipe you see in a commercial structure marked standpipe, that is where the fire department can hook into that during a fire, and pump water into a building. Now, it might be for internal hydrants, the sprinkler system, or both.

All homes should have a fire extinguisher. All rentals are required to have one, and the fire department is very **** about that.(They SHOULD be)

Speaking as a building contractor, I don't know of any insulation that is completely fireproof. Oh there is one, but you don't want to mess with it. Asbestos. I'd say that eventually, they're going to figure out that it was because of installation. It's a dirty job, few want to do it, and it's one of those low paying jobs.

That guy started it in a refrigerator? Those are full of plastic, and very flammable foam insulation. When those are in a house fire, all that's left after it's out, is the compressor pump, and maybe the metal tray it sat in. Actually, I can't think of anything more flammable in a home than that. (Unless you happen to have a five gallon can of gas in your house, full)

Yes redrider, usually called "dry risers"
I'd of thought this building had them but I'd of thought it did.
I think his fridge caught fire but not on purpose.
This is another problem with irresponsible people! Blocking the ventilation to appliances!

Mikey, you mentioned the guy who's fridge caught on fire disappeared, has he resurfaced ?

And speaking of Grenville towers, what happened to those tenants?

Hi diserli,
I think the guy is still in hiding.
Nearly all the people have been re housed apart from a couple. Most wanted to stay in that area so it was difficult for the council,
Apparently many who were offered a house turned them down as they didn't like them, I know, I know, tell me about it!
I'd of thought there priority would be to get a home!
Plus there were a few fake claims, people who weren't there that kinda thing.