Barking fire Major incident declared as fire breaks out in block of flats in East London.

[HelenaDove]

www.standard.co.uk/news/london/barking-fire-huge-blaze-breaks-out-at-block-of-flats-in-east-london-a4163006.html

[HelenaDove]

www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/breaking-barking-fire-flames-engulf-16489527


People are being urged to avoid the area.

The fire brigade said in a statement: "Fifteen fire engines and around 100 firefighters have been called to a fire at a block of flats on De Pass Gardens in Barking.

"The ground floor to the sixth floor of the block are currently alight.

"The Brigade was called at 15.31 and is still at the scene. Fire crews from Barking, Dagenham, East Ham and surrounding fire stations are at the scene

[anitagreen]

Fucking hell I hope everyone got out ok? Wasn't expecting it to look this bad Christ

[HelenaDove]

from Twitter



Venilia Batista Amorim
‏ @vbatistaamorim
1h1 hour ago

Fire on the Barking Riverside estate. Huge!!! Serious!!! Only a couple of weeks after the residents association specifically asked the builders @Bellway_Homes who said the wood cladding was fire retardant and perfectly safe @barkingriver @barkingriver @CllrDRodwell

[HelenaDove]

seems to have spread very quickly


twitter.com/sakukrish/status/1137732832560898048

[tribpot]

Looks awful. So far no reports of casualties I think? Hope everyone made it out okay.

[HelenaDove]

Chi Chi Izundu
‏Verified account @blondeafro
59m59 minutes ago

Both London ambulance and @metpoliceuk have told @BBCNews there are "remarkably"no injuries at the barking flat fire

[anitagreen]

This is what annoys me about these flats they are made so they look so pretty and put up quickly that they scrimp on things to make them safer apparently it's all wood that's alight. Same as Grenfell that was cladded and the block I live in too is cladded and it also failed it's test after Grenfell but they won't remove the cladding as they spent 8 million on the refurbishment on it around 2-3 years ago

[HelenaDove]

Anita its profit before people.

[HelenaDove]

Written just over a month ago.


inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/homes-and-gardens/persimmon-bellway-homes-fire-risk-bbc-watchdog-investigation/

[HelenaDove]

resident on BBC News says she spent six years trying to tell the council about the untreated wood

[anitagreen]

Disgraceful if Grenfell wasn't a wake up call then what Ian

[anitagreen]

*is even ?

[icanhearapindrop]

I can’t believe this hasn’t even made the top story on the BBC news app! It’s amazing that no one was hurt, but it looks like a major fire!

[NoBaggyPants]

@anitagreen Nothing will change until rich white people are affected, that's the way this country works. Council officials in Kensington referred to Grenfell as "little Africa", which just shows their utter contempt for people that they perceive as different (and less worthy) than them.

[HelenaDove]

I tend to keep an eye on the RT news feed. They have been pretty good about reporting all sorts of things that BBC news dont.

[HelenaDove]

Im so relieved that everyone got out safely. I hope Barking councils response is way better than the RBKC one was.

[anitagreen]

@NoBaggyPants Wow I never knew that, that is disgusting how do these people sleep at night? The other night we had our fire alarms go off because someone was smoking in the fire exit but they didn't know that at the time so our alarms went off , And that alerted the fire brigade, they was here within 6 minutes with 6 fire engines one with a crane attachment to lift us from windows if we needed it.
Except I'm so high up god forbid If there ever was a fire it wouldn't reach us I'm on the 18th floor their cranes only go to the 8th it scares me a lot

[beanaseireann]

I can't believe Sky News had nothing about it on the 7 pm News on tv.
It was the first item on an Irish news station - Newstalk at 6pm

[HelenaDove]

Channel 4 news only did a couple of mins on it halfway through the programme.

[HelenaDove]

Bigman Lee
ℹ️
‏ @corgilee
1h1 hour ago
Replying to @vbatistaamorim @AyoCaesar and

I've worked in a lot of flats and houses on that estate and the electric and plumbing are all messed up. Not good. Corners definitely cut

[HelenaDove]

Unclassified_mummy
‏ @Unclassifiedmum
7m7 minutes ago

I still have the emails and airy fairy reply i got when i raised concerns. Praying for all those involved. #barkingfire #barkingriverside
0 replies 1 retweet 0 likes
Unclassified_mummy
‏ @Unclassifiedmum
35m35 minutes ago

Im so angry about the fire on #barkingriverside as a former resident I raised concerns over a year ago and I know how hard the residents association has been working. These people need to be held accountable!!"

[iVampire]

I’ve just seen this on the news

Very worrying

[HelenaDove]

amp.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/jun/09/fire-flats-barking-east-london-de-pass-gardens?utm_term=Autofeed&CMP=twt_gu&utm_medium=&utm_source=Twitter&__twitter_impression=true


A block of flats that caught fire on De Pass Gardens, Barking
Show caption
Barking fire: residents were reassured of flat safety month before blaze

Bellway downplayed occupants’ concerns about fire risk after breaches at other sites


Residents at a six-storey block of flats in Barking, east London, that was engulfed in flames on Sunday have claimed their concerns about potential fire safety breaches were downplayed by its builders only last month.

About 100 firefighters and 15 fire engines were dispatched to deal with the blaze on De Pass Gardens that tore through wooden balconies forcing it and neighbouring flats to be evacuated.

Peter Mason, chair of the Barking Reach residents’ association, told the Guardian that in early May he contacted the builder Bellway Homes to ask for the fire risk to be investigated after BBC Watchdog broadcast claims of fire safety problems at two other developments by the same builder


In an email seen by the Guardian from the firm’s fire safety helpline last month, Bellway told him not to worry. In a section headed Your Home it said the construction method used on the development in Scotland examined by Watchdog was different and so the Barking homes were not affected in the same way.

It concluded: “We understand that these news articles are highly alarming for all residents of new homes and I hope that the above statement has allayed any fears you may have over the safety and construction of your Bellway home.”

Mason said he felt “gut-wrenched” by the fire, adding that people had lost their homes and possessions and were in severe distress. The fire appeared to rip through the wooden cladding around the balconies of the building and may have been caused by a barbecue being lit on one of the balconies, Mason said

Twenty flats were destroyed by the flames and a further 10 were damaged by heat and smoke.

One man and one woman were treated at the scene after suffering from smoke inhalation. No other injuries were reported.

A London ambulance service spokesperson said: “We were called at 3.32pm today to a fire in De Pass Gardens, in Barking.

“We sent two ambulance crews, two solo responders and our hazardous area response team. We have a tactical commander and our command support vehicle at the scene. We also dispatched London’s air ambulance.”

Venilia Batista Amorim, who lives opposite the flats told the Guardian: “People started running, some said the fire alarm was not working, the sprinklers were not working, residents knocked on neighbours doors to tell them to leave

It does not come as a surprise, so many residents are concerned.”

The managing agents of the block had already hired a fire warden to carry out patrols because of unspecified concerns about fire safety, Mason said.

Residents who have been evacuated were advised to go to Thames View community centre on Bastable Avenue.

A spokesperson for Bellway said: “We are taking the matter very seriously and working with all parties to help in establishing the cause of the fire.

[HelenaDove]

www.bbc.com/news/amp/uk-england-london-48574044?__twitter_impression=true

Twenty flats were destroyed and another 10 have been damaged after a fire engulfed a building in east London.

The blaze spread over six floors of the block of flats in De Pass Gardens, Barking, at about 15:30 BST, London Fire Brigade said.

About 100 firefighters worked for more than two hours to subdue the fire, which was extinguished at 18:00. The cause is being investigated.

A man and a woman were treated for the effects of inhaling smoke.

The pair were cared for at the scene and there are no other reports of injuries.
'We ran out'

Resident Mihaela Gheorghe said she had "raised several issues" about the safety of wooden balconies on the blocks of flats.

She added: "I was in my fourth-floor flat when the fire started. We ran out. The fire brigade came but they found it hard to find a water supply at first."

"We said that one day a fire is going to happen.

"We raised several issues to the builder, the maintenance companies and the council about the safety of having all these wooden balconies."


Mukhtar Raja, who lives nearby, said he saw flames when he looked out of his window.

"The heat was unbearable and it was spreading so fast. I went outside and filmed the footage with my phone.

"The fact it was a tall building and the speed at which the fire was spreading was scary.


Crews from Barking, Dagenham, East Ham and other surrounding fire stations attended.

London Fire Brigade's Andy Maloney said: "Crews worked really hard at the scene to bring the fire under control."

A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said: "We sent two ambulance crews, two solo responders, our hazardous area response team and London's Air Ambulance."

[HelenaDove]

They told residents everything was okay...................then hired a waking watch