Grenfell cladding burned ‘as quickly as petrol’
THE plastic core of the cladding used on Grenfell Tower could have burned as quickly as petrol, a fire safety expert has said.
The energy output from the burning building would have been equal to burning 51 tonnes of pinewood, research by the University of Leeds has suggested.
Dr Roth Phylaktou, an expert in fire investigation at the university, said the cladding combined with insulation was “optimum for vertical fire spread”. He told the BBC: “If you set that on fire near the bottom you can imagine what would happen and how fast the fire will grow.”
Before the blaze, the tower had been recently refurbished with Reynobond PE cladding, consisting of Reynolux-coated aluminium sheets over a Reynobond polyethylene core.
Dr Phylaktou said: “The poly- ethylene in the cladding would have burnt as quickly as petrol.”
The BBC said it had seen information released by French authorities which indicates the burning cladding would have released 14 times more heat than a European standard of “limited combustibility”.
All buildings more than 18 metres which have submitted cladding samples have failed combustibility tests rolled out after the fire.
Meanwhile, a petition demanding the resignation of the entire elected leadership of the council at the heart of the disaster is to be debated.
More than 1,500 people have signed the petition to Kensington and Chelsea Council, passing the threshold for a debate by councillors.
Victims and survivors groups have voiced anger at the authority’s actions in the lead up, and in response, to the devastating fire at the 24-storey block that left at least 80 people dead.