The Fires That Foretold Grenfell
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- Episode
- Episode 1
- Broadcast Info
- 2018 (59 mins)
- Description
- This 60-minute documentary by AMOS Pictures tells the dramatic, haunting story of five fires that foretold the Grenfell disaster, told through the eyes of those directly involved. This vivid and moving film for BBC Two collates the memories of survivors, the bereaved, fire-fighters, safety experts, and the politicians linked to five intensely fierce fire disasters that preceded Grenfell. This telling collection of interviews and archive footage shows the clear warnings that existed and could have predicted a Grenfell-type inferno happening in Britain Focusing on three key factors that contributed to the scale of disaster at Grenfell - the flammable cladding applied to the tower, the fire service’s ‘Stay Put’ advice for residents, and the absence of sprinklers - the programme will hear first-hand how these factors had already played a part in the previous five blazes, some with fatal consequences. Made over the course of 12 months, the film crucially tells the story of the legislative history of building regulations from 1973 to the present day through five fires. It explores the causes, subsequent investigations and the recommendations that were sent to successive UK governments, ultimately posing the question, if lessons had been learned as a result of tragic repetition of errors over the decades, could Grenfell have been avoided?The five fires revisited include: Summerland disaster, Douglas, Isle of Man (1973); Knowsley Heights fire, Liverpool (1991); Garnock Court fire, Irvine, N Ayrshire (1999); Harrow Court fire, Stevenage, Herts (2005); and Lakanal House, London (2009).
- Genre
- Forensic Technology; Architecture; Design; Local Government
How to cite this record
The Open University, "The Fires That Foretold Grenfell". https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/ou/search/index.php/prog/232005 (Accessed 09 Jan 2025)