Hard reality of fire

SIR – My wife and I lost our home and two sons in a house fire in 2003.

The only thing we received from the government of the day was a letter of condolence from John Prescott.

We now have a sprinkler system fitted. Richard Kent

Crowborough, East Sussex

SIR – Today there are 168 flats to rent in Kensington at less than £2,000 a month, more than enough to rehouse the former tenants of Grenfell Tower.

It would be a small price for the local council to pay to alleviate the misery of the Grenfell Tower tenants.

Perhaps the commercial landlords would join in the spirit of generosity of the community and offer discounts for the tenants – wouldn’t they? Victor Lucas

Warboys, Huntingdonshire

SIR – No one in local or national government seems to understand the psychology of disaster. Survivors of the Grenfell fire are being scattered across a wide area wherever temporary accommodation can be found.

But what these stricken people need most of all is mutual support, not just emotionally but through physical proximity. They need to be able to talk about their experiences and draw strength from each other. It is a well-recognised mechanism for coping and, eventually, healing.

It cannot be beyond the wit of government to organise a park of mobile homes to create a temporary community near by. Wormwood Scrubs park would be ideal. Water bowsers, generators and other services are all available and could be drawn together in just a few days.

There would then be an effective focus for all those made homeless as well as for volunteers and others who are helping them. William Wilson

London SW3

SIR – Grenfell Tower was a mixed block. Among the unfortunate casualties are owner-occupiers or – like the young Italian couple – legitimate tenants of flats owned and let on the open market.

Presumably the banks that lent money on the security of those flats had them surveyed properly – with a full fire-risk assessment – and were satisfied that no fire risk existed. Christopher Horne

London W10

SIR – Shame on Jeremy Corbyn for using the Grenfell disaster for political gain. He has been openly inciting political unrest by suggesting that those affected by the disaster should take over empty properties. Charmaine Bushby

Bath, Somerset

SIR – It was puzzling to see fire engines apparently unable to deliver water higher than 100ft.

On surrounding building sites, equally sized vehicles pump concrete to 150ft (and larger vehicles pump it to 230ft), using remote-controlled arms manoeuvrable enough to go through a window into the core of a building. Mike Arthur

Plymouth, Devon