The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has called for a complete overhaul of UK fire safety and condemned cuts to fire and rescue services following the catastrophic blaze at student accommodation in Bolton.
Matt Wrack, FBU general secretary, said the latest high-rise fire highlights the complete failure of the UK’s fire safety system.
He also said it was deeply troubling to see fire spread rapidly up a building’s exterior again, describing it as a shocking indictment of the government’s shameful inaction after Grenfell.
Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service is investigating the role of cladding as it looks into how the fire spread so rapidly through the six-story development.
The fire service was called to the fire at The Cube building on Bradshawgate in Bolton last Friday evening. All occupants got out safely but it took 40 fire engines and specialist appliances and 200 firefighters all night to control the blaze.
The building had been converted from offices to student rooms in 2015. It is managed by Valeo Urban Student Life and houses 220 students.
The block was clad in HPL panels, different to the cladding at Grenfell Tower. However, it has once again prompted questions as to whether the Government's review of high-rise building regulations has been comprehensive enough.
"This is not how any building should react to a fire in the 21st century, let alone a building in which people live," continued Matt Wrack.
"We need to end the deregulation agenda and the disastrous cuts to our fire and rescue service. It's time for a complete overhaul of UK fire safety before it’s too late.”
GMFRS inspected the building in 2017 following the fire at Grenfell Tower. It was established that the building did not have ACM cladding. There are two buildings in The Cube, Phase 1 is classified as a high rise building and Phase 2 (the building involved in the fire) is recorded as being under 18 metres and therefore not classified as a high rise building.
It stated that as The Cube is student accommodation, it is fitted with a fire alarm system and operates a simultaneous evacuation strategy.
GMFRS subsequently requested the fire risk assessment be reviewed and the materials used in the external wall system identified and assessed. This assessment was shared with GMFRS and in 2018, subsequent work was undertaken to both buildings by the building owners.
Following the fire our investigation will consider the materials used within the external wall construction and what if any role these materials played in the development and spread of fire. This investigation will be complex and take some time. No further information about the external wall system will be released at this stage.
GMFRS says it will continue to work with the building owners to determine when it will be safe for parts of the building to be reoccupied and in the interim when it will be possible for personal belongings to be collected.
Jane Duncan, Chair of the RIBA Expert Advisory Group on Fire Safety: “The fire at Bolton has demonstrated, once again, that the lessons from the Grenfell Tower tragedy have not been learnt.
It
is vital that the next government steps up and takes this housing
safety emergency seriously – with a comprehensive overhaul of the UK’s
building safety regulations.
The RIBA will continue to lobby for
strong baseline fire safety regulations on the use of combustible
materials, means of warning and escape, and sprinkler systems. Urgent
action is needed – people’s lives are at risk.”
Photo: GMFRS
