A fire at Marie Curie House – which is next to Lakanal House in Camberwell, London where six people died last year – has severely damaged a maisonette on the thirteenth floor.
Six fire engines and around 30 firefighters were called to the building at around 6.30 pm on Monday. The fire, which was confined to a bedroom and interior hallway and did not spread to other properties in the building, was under control by 8.45pm.
The cause of the fire is being investigated but is not thought to be suspicious.
In the wake of the Lakanal House tragedy in July 2009, Southwark Council conducted what it described as an “intrusive” inspection of similar blocks, including Marie Curie House, and embarked on a programme to upgrade fire safety at the block. The following month, the council was served with three enforcement notices, one of which related to Marie Curie House.
In September 2009 a further fire risk assessment on the block was carried out by external fire safety consultants. Among its conclusions were that the standards of compartmentation and of the protection of escape routes were inadequate, and areas such as the storage of combustible materials, maintenance of systems and record keeping needed to be improved.
Inadequate fire risk assessments
In January this year, the council conceded that its approach to fire risk assessments on complex high rise blocks was inadequate prior to the fire at Lakanal House. Inspections of buildings of seven storeys and above are now carried out by external experts, while buildings of five or six storeys are done by the council’s fire safety team. Low rise buildings are inspected by housing officers with the support of the fire safety team.
Southwark Council has now completed a £1.4m refurbishment programme for Marie Curie House which, it says, has addressed all the actions raised by the fire risk assessments.
Responding to the fact that around 60 people evacuated themselves from the building during Monday’s fire in spite of a ‘stay put’ policy for such blocks, a spokesman for London Fire Brigade told Info4fire:
“It is accepted [London Fire Brigade] and national advice and guidance for residents that if there is a fire elsewhere in the building, you’re usually safer staying in your flat unless heat or smoke is affecting you. The fire was contained to the flat of origin and residents would have been safe to remain in the building. On this occasion the residents left the building of their own accord.”
Commenting on the fire, Ian Wingfield, Southwark Council cabinet member for housing, said: "This was an unfortunate incident but thankfully no one was hurt. I realise residents may be concerned. I want to reassure them that we are taking every step to ensure their safety."
Following more than 3,000 fire risk assessments, Southwark Council says only 28 needed urgent action to reduce the overall risk. Work has included the installation of fire resisting doors, the fitting of smoke alarms and the stripping out of false ceilings. The council has committed £19m to ensure that the risk from fire across all its housing stock is reduced to a “tolerable” level by 2012.
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