As the death toll in the London building fire rises, fire experts are at loss to explain why the fire spread so quickly. It is believed that the fire started on the fourth floor due to a faulty refrigerator and rapidly spread. Flames generally spread upwards but this is a gradual process. Something must have helped the fire to spread and fingers are now being pointed at the aluminum cladding that covered the outsides of the building. The 24-storey residential block was constructed in the 1970s and lacked fire safety measures like escape routes. The alarms did not sound and sprinklers, if they were installed, failed to work. A tragedy of this nature was not expected in London, but residents of the building have now pointed out that several warnings were sounded but the authorities did nothing, and it took a full scale tragedy to wake them up. Fire services personnel will now enter the building to check for dead bodies and the toll might continue to rise as those injured by fire and smoke are still in hospital. London is still in a state of shock, but the larger question is will the inquiry report reveal the cause or hide the facts, because the business of making aluminum claddings is at stake here.
