London Tower Disaster: How Did the Fire Spread So Quickly?

In the middle of the night, while most residents were sleeping, a devastating fire

started at Grenfell Tower in London. The emergency response was rapid and robust: more than 200 firefighters attended the scene, with assistance arriving just six minutes after the first calls were made. Emergency services have confirmed that 12 people are dead. More remain missing and dozens are injured. Already, people are asking how the fire spread so rapidly and why it was so difficult for residents to escape. Doubtless, in time, a thorough investigation will reveal the full details of what caused the disaster. But from an engineering perspective, there are a number of factors in the design of the 24-storey tower block that may have contributed to the speed and scale of the blaze. Most of the current guidelines across the world contain detailed design requirements for fire safety such as evacuation routes, compartmentation and structural fire design. But Grenfell Tower was built in 1974. At that time, the rules and regulations were not as clear and well-developed as they are now.