London Inferno

This fire in a London residential tower is really a simple matter. Flammable cladding was added to the exterior of an eye-sore for the benefit of the wealthier property owners in the area who did not like their views being sullied by a run down building filled with poor people, many of them recent immigrants.

The morality and legality of the act is determined by what was known at the time.

Firefighters had just knocked down a small electrical fire that had started in a refrigerator and were leaving the building when the exterior erupted into a major fire. So the response of the authorities should have been better and faster. There was no warning system in the building and the fire apparatus on scene did not constantly cycle their sirens as a warning to the residents to flee.

Now it seems the disaster is a big rallying cry for everyone from real churches to Scientology. The residents had been complaining about the lack of a building wide fire alarm or a safe means of emergency egress. Nothing was done.

Its a matter for lawyers, press releases and politicians now.