A major fire in a high-rise building in east London over the weekend has exposed the ongoing issue of flammable cladding in the UK, the Fire Brigades Union has said.
The fire, which started in a mixed-use commercial and residential tower block in the early hours of Monday morning, led to more than 80 people being evacuated and two being taken to hospital but did not result in any fatalities.
Images from the scene appear to indicate that the fire spread the full height of the building, which news channel ITV reported was undergoing work to remove "non-compliant cladding".
FBU calls for "urgent and swift" investigation
In a statement, the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), which represents firefighters, said the building had been the subject of a fire-safety enforcement notice in 2023 and called for an investigation. "Once again, a fire has erupted in a residential building wrapped in flammable cladding," said FBU general secretary Matt Wrack.
"There needs to be an urgent and swift investigation of how this has been allowed to happen," he added. "Hundreds of thousands of people continue to live in buildings like it, with various failings in fire safety. This is a national scandal."
Firefighters battled the blaze for more than eight hours
Forty fire engines and around 225 firefighters were called to attend the fire on Freshwater Road in Dagenham at 02.44am on Monday morning, with the fire, which the London Fire Brigade (LFB) declared a...