Dagenham fire investigation begins

A fire that engulfed a block of flats in Dagenham on Monday (26 August) morning is being investigated, following reports of unsafe cladding present.

London Fire Brigade (LFB) said 225 firefighters took on the blaze in Dagenham, East London, and that no lives were lost.

London Fire Commissioner Andy Roe said:

“The building has a number of fire safety issues known to LFB. 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. More than 80 people were evacuated with firefighters leading residents out to safety and carrying out 20 rescues.

“We will now begin a full investigation into the fire and its cause. This was a very dynamic and challenging incident, and we know there will undoubtedly be concerns around the fire safety issues present within the building and this will form part of our report.”

The Dagenham fire spread across the entire block, including scaffolding around the building and its roof. The cause of the fire will be determined by the investigation, however early reports suggest the building was undergoing cladding removal.

Data from the Government’s monthly remediation report shows that 50% of residential buildings which have been identified as having unsafe cladding have either started or completed remediation works.

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