Crucial differences that saved lives

FIRE DOORS GRENFELL residents were legally responsible for their front doors. Only a random sample were ever tested for fire resistance by block managers. In the Dubai Torch Tower, building officials ensured each flat’s front door was fireproof. STAIRWELL THE single stairwell at Grenfell swiftly filled with black smoke, stopping many residents from escaping. The Torch has twin stairwells, giving an alternative route out. SPRINKLERS THERE were none at Grenfell as the £200,000 cost was deemed too expensive. At the Torch, a state-of-the-art system restricted the spread of fire internally, keeping stairwells safe. EVACUATION POLICY RESIDENTS at Grenfell were told to stay put. In the Torch Tower, they were alerted by bangs on the door, phone calls, texts and emails. FIRE ALARMS THERE was no central fire alarm in Grenfell but a loud alarm woke residents in the Torch Tower. CLADDING FLAMMABLE cladding is blamed for turning Grenfell into an inferno. In Dubai, officials will probe if similar cladding was a factor in the spread of its blaze. Aluminium panels with a flammable plastic core adorn many of Dubai’s 250 high-rises. New rules mean they require fire-retardant panels every three floors and external sprinklers.