Fears about the safety of residents living in tall blocks of flats were made worse this morning after the London Fire Brigade was called out to a blaze in one of the council blocks on Regina Road, South Norwood.
Firefighters were called out to Regina Road shortly before 3am today
No one was hurt in the incident, but worried residents have told Inside Croydon that they were only made aware of the potentially life-threatening situation when some heard a loud bang, and what sounded like an explosion.
The residents say that they heard no fire alarms go off in the block.
Since the tragic Grenfell Tower fire in 2017, in which 72 people were killed, those living in high-rise accommodation have been keenly aware of the potential dangers to their homes – even those living in tower blocks such as at Regina Road where the cladding has been deemed by officials to be safe.
In any case, with the scandalous issues of leaks, damp and mould and unhealthy living conditions in many of the flats in the three blocks on Regina Road, council tenants there have endured more than their share of difficulties over recent years.
The three Wates-built blocks on Regina Road are half as tall as the Grenfell Tower, at 11 storeys, each with 44 homes.
This morning’s fire occurred in Block 2-56a.
This morning’s fire was in the rubbish chute of Block 2-56a at Regina Road
According to eye-witnesses, it is believed that someone may have placed an object down the rubbish chute when it was smouldering or on fire.
In a statement to Inside Croydon, the London Fire Brigade said, “Firefighters were called to a fire at a flat on Regina Road in South Norwood this morning.
“A paladin bin in a ground floor bin storage cupboard was destroyed by fire.
“Around 55 residents left the building before the Brigade arrived. There were no reports of any injuries. The cause of the fire is under investigation.”
The Brigade received a call at 2.49am. Five fire engines and around 35 firefighters from Woodside, Beckenham, West Norwood, Croydon and Norbury fire stations attended the scene, and had the incident under control before 3.30am.
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I live in this block of flats and having spoken to a few neighbours, quite a lot of residents were not evacuated, even one neighbour didn’t even know there was a fire in the building. It seems like it’s business as usual, with no one from the fire brigade or police going around for reports on what happened. Hopefully they will do in the coming hours or days.
And yet Croydon Council STILL wants to allow the building of a 50+ storey monstrosity near East Croydon. LFB/LAS cannot be expected to fight any fire and deal with the resulting injuries in such a structure. They do not have the equipment nor capacity, just look what happened with the twin tower buildings in New York, do we really want our own private 9/11 but without the extensive emergency services infrastructure they had available?
It is possible such a block might have sprinklers and extra fire stairs…. but they could fail. I agree 50 floors is abysmal on a human scale and should not be allowed. Also it’s just not nice to look at; this is not Dubai…. Human scale is gone.
There must be a clearly greater risk to human life in the case of a fire in a residential block, as office blocks don’t have a multiplicity of kitchens with people cooking with flammable oils, and living rooms with furniture, curtains and soft furnishings and bedrooms with furniture, bedding and clothes .
A fire in the evening or by night in an office block will affect an almost empty building. Very different from a residential block with most residents at home, cooking, eating,and later on, sleeping.
I am glad that I am not living in a flat in a tall building, particularly one higher than the highest escape ladders or platforms.
Dubai– went there, not so many years ago, about 30, when there were about 20 tall blocks along the Creek.
Now it must be a form of Hell on earth.