The Fire Brigade was called out to a block of flats on London Road on Saturday – a council-run block which five years ago was deemed to be a fire risk.
Laundry fire: Concord House is used by the council to house people who might otherwise be homeless
Concord House is one of three blocks – previously offices, but converted into bedsits and one-bedroomed flats – which the council has described as “quality accommodation for homeless people”.
In 2017, the council took over from contractors the buildings’ day-to-day management, including repairs.
But people living in the blocks have in the past told Inside Croydon, “We feel we are living in a fire trap.”
In September 2018, the London Fire Brigade issued enforcement notices which found that Concord House and two other ex-office buildings nearby – Windsor House and Sycamore House – had failed on several important safety issues.
These included “Failure to ensure that the premises and any facilities, equipment and devices are maintained in an efficient state, in effective working order and in good repair”.
Saturday’s fire in Concord House broke out in a fifth-floor laundry room, which was destroyed. “There were no reports of any injuries,” the Brigade said today.
The Brigade received a 999 call at 11.41pm, and five fire engines and 35 firefighters from Croydon, Norbury and Woodside stations were called out, and they had the blaze under control just before 1am.
“The fire is believed to have been accidental and involved a tumble dryer,” the LFB said.
A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: “If your white goods start making a strange noise, don’t ignore it. If you think there’s a problem always unplug it and contact the manufacturer or a qualified repair technician.
“Most fires where white goods are the source of ignition are not down to anything you have done – so always make sure you register your appliances as you’ll be informed if any issues are identified with the product you’ve bought.”
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There really needs to be some regulatory actions taken for administrations that persistantly have failed inspections and safety issues and risks realised.
Failures can be one of errors or failures to recognise particular issues risks. There can even be one off humn error or follow up lapses.
But repeatedly this Council has issues where inspections are not done, are perhaps done but not followed up, or are done, noted and determined that no action to be taken then, and again not followed up and just plain ignored until the TVcamera’s are rolling and it’s national news.
One suspects that this Government does not wish to really look at what is happening in Croydon as it would then have explicit guilty knowledge of what and how this Council has so spectacularly failed.
If that is not the reason, there is only sheer incompetence, intentional neglect or sheer intentional discrimination against a muti-culteral community left to choose from.
Perhaps the Minister would like to give a simple explanation?
Excuses about a fire in the laundry simply won’t wash in Croydon