Fire at two high-rises on Grenfell anniversary

A fire at a high-rise in London and another at a block in Glasgow broke out on the morning of the first anniversary of the Grenfell tragedy.

 

Eight people were treated for smoke inhalation after a fire in a kitchen in a 14th floor flat at Commercial Court, in the Gorbals area of Glasgow.

 

Alan Fairbairn, the area manager of the Scottish fire and rescue service, said the blaze was contained within an hour.

 

Hours earlier, at 4:14am, about 180 people fled their homes when fire broke out on the 12th floor of the block in Elmira Street, Lewisham, south London.

 

A sprinkler system, a feature which was not installed at Grenfell, was able to suppress the fire. London fire brigade declared the blaze under control at 6.02am. Eight fire engines and 60 firefighters had been sent to tackle the fire.

 

In Lewisham, residents complained about the lack of fire alarms. Nick Cheuk, a 27-year-old structural engineer who lives on the 19th floor with his girlfriend, said most of the residents ignored a “stay-put” policy in the block when they awoke to news of the fire.