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Grenfell Fire Inquiry: What Do We Know Seven Years On?

Elena Chiujdea
a Grenfell memorial outside brown building made from green and white mosaic tiles.

Elena Chiujdea

On 14th June 2017, the Grenfell Tower burned for 60 hours before the fire was contained, and years later, the incident continues to haunt England. 

Following the tragedy, 72 victims died, 18 of which were children.

Seven years on, on Wednesday 4th September 2024, the government released the Grenfell Fire Inquiry. The Inquiry details fire safety procedures, building safety and the response of emergency services. But, the desperation to know how the fire started and who was to blame is deeply felt by the Grenfell Fire survivors.

The simple answer: Arconic.

WHO IS ARCONIC?

The Grenfell apartment building was fitted with flammable exterior cladding by Arconic, a conglomerate manufacturing company.

The Inquiry details: “By late 2007 Arconic had become aware that there were serious concerns within the industry about the safety in fire of ACM panels.” But, they did nothing to prevent it.

The Grenfell Phase 2 Report details how Claude Wehrle, former manager for Arconic, was to blame for “failing to instruct Arconic’s sales representatives in the UK not to promote Reynobond 55 PE.”

“Their focus was on the money and profit made”

The flammable product continued to be sold in the UK for years following this discovery.

Wehrle refused to take part in the Inquiry, but the report details he now lives in France and volunteers as a firefighter.

The Inquiry found all the bodies involved in the cause of the fire proved to be ignorant about the people they were putting in danger. Instead, their focus was on the money and profit made.

THE GRENFELL SURVIVORS

Grenfell United, a group of Grenfell survivors, commented on the release of the report.

Their statement said: “Human life was never a priority, and we lost friends, neighbours and loved ones in the most horrific way through greed, corruption, incompetence and negligence.”

The Guardian interviewed others who escaped the flames. Survivor Maher Khoudair, 55, said: “Nobody came to help me get down. If I had waited, I would have been number 73.”

Emma O’Connor, 33, will always hold on to survivors’ guilt. O’Connor said: “on the night of the anniversary, I’ll be asking myself: why did I survive?”

INQUIRY RECOMMENDATIONS: WHAT WILL CHANGE?

The Grenfell Inquiry details that fire safety regulations need to change. Some of the recommendations include ensuring every building has sprinkler systems installed and building managers need to ensure cladding materials are certified. According to the Inquiry, fire services need to be better trained when faced with fires like Grenfell. But is that enough?

The government’s Building Safety Remediation data shows: “At the end of July 2024, there are 4,630 residential buildings 11 metres and over in height identified with unsafe cladding.”

“Lives are still put in danger in the UK without the correct fire regulations for buildings”

The Grenfell Fire could have been prevented. In 2022, the BBC reported that Brian Martin, the head of technical policy for building regulation, told a public inquiry he received warnings the building industry, confused by government guidance, was using dangerous cladding.

Martin told the BBC: “Over the last few months I’ve been looking through evidence and documents and when you line them in the way we’ve done in the last seven days [at the inquiry] it became clear to me that there were a number of occasions where I could have potentially prevented this happening.”

But lives are still put in danger in the UK without correct fire regulations for buildings.

THE LONDON FIRE BRIGADE

The Grenfell Fire was originally reported at 00:50am.

The fire originally started, as detailed in the Inquiry by Dr Glover’s forensic electrical analysis, from “the large fridge-freezer” in flat 16.

The flammable cladding material Grenfell was wrapped in – for the aesthetic look and insulation of the building – allowed the flames to spread quickly.

According to the Inquiry, there were “longstanding concerns raised by residents about electrical surges affecting appliances within the tower.”

Fire engines arrived in Kensington six minutes after the call was made.

The London Fire Brigade was criticised in the Inquiry for their delayed evacuation response. The safety regulation follows a “stay put” policy in large tower fires. However, that only works if the building is equipped with the correct fire safety materials. Grenfell was not. The residents were trapped inside their flats, awaiting aid from firefighters

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Featured image courtesy of Duncan Cumming on Flickr. No changes were made to this image. Image license found here.

I am 22, currently completing my MA in Journalism at Kingston University with an implemented NCTJ. I finished my BA in English at Royal Holloway University of London. During my studies I was a contributor for Orbital Magazine and the Deputy Editor for The Founder Newspaper. After my Journalism MA I am looking to write for current affairs and explore with broadcast journalism.

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