Knowsley Heights fire

The Knowsley Heights fire occurred in 1991 at the 11-story Knowsley Heights tower block in Huyton, Merseyside. No-one was injured in the fire.

Knowsley Heights fire
Knowsley Heights tower block
Knowsley Heights tower block in 2009
Date1991
LocationKnowsley Heights, Huyton, Merseyside, England
Coordinates53°25′18″N 2°50′38″W
TypeStructure fire
CauseRubbish fire
Deaths0
Non-fatal injuries0

Fire

The fire was deliberately started when rubbish was set alight outside the 11-story Knowsley Heights tower block in Huyton, Merseyside.[1] The flames began at the bottom of the building, and spread through a 90 millimetres (3.5 in) gap between the wall and the newly installed rainscreen cladding.[1][2] The fire spread to all floors of the 11-storey building, causing extensive damage to the walls and windows of the building. The interior of the building did not suffer damage, as the fire did not enter the inside of the building.[1][2][3][4][5] No-one was injured in the fire.[3]

Aftermath

The Building Research Establishment (BRE) determined that the cladding around Knowsley Heights was a low risk of combustibility. They also highlighted that the building lacked firebreaks.[3] The cladding used in Knowsley Heights was declared legal.[6] The incident was mentioned by BRE for subsequent changes in building regulations.[2]

The Knowsley Heights fire featured in the BBC Two documentary The Fires that Foretold Grenfell, which was first broadcast in October 2018.[6]

See also

References
  1. "Burning issues". Architects' Journal. 31 May 2001. Archived from the original on 8 July 2017. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  2. White, Nathan; Delichatsios, Michael (July 2015). Fire Hazards of Exterior Wall Assemblies Containing Combustible Components. Springer. p. 50. ISBN 9781493928989. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  3. Thorp, Liam (3 July 2017). "Should Knowsley Heights blaze have been a warning from history for Grenfell?". Liverpool Echo. Archived from the original on 9 July 2017. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  4. Sawer, Patrick (17 June 2017). "Warnings over 'deathtrap' high-rise building cladding 'ignored' for decades". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 9 July 2017. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  5. "How might we avert another tragedy like the Grenfell Tower fire?". The Guardian. 15 June 2017. Archived from the original on 21 June 2017. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  6. "Grenfell Tower: The fires that foretold the tragedy". BBC News. 30 October 2018. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
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