Deadly errors in £10m refurb that fuelled the Grenfell tower inferno

THE deadly failings that fuelled the Grenfell Tower blaze have been exposed in a damning report.

A disastrous refurbishment included a series of failures that meant the high-rise block was quickly engulfed by flames.

Without the botched £10million upgrade, there would have been ‘little opportunity’ for the inferno to spread. Instead, errors turned it into a tinderbox.

The analysis, by fire investigation experts BRE Global, found ‘deficiencies’ in the facade went beyond the addition of flammable cladding and insulation.

Other errors included gaps around windows and incorrectly-fitted safety devices that helped – rather than hindered – the blaze to spread up the exterior.

The draft report was prepared as part of a Scotland Yard investigation into the tragedy – which claimed the lives of 71 residents on June 14 last year.

Experts wrote: ‘Grenfell Tower, as originally built, appears to have been designed on the premise of providing very high levels of passive fire protection.

‘The original facade of Grenfell Tower would not have provided a medium for fire spread up the external surface.’

The refurbishment of the west London block was carried out for Kensington and Chelsea Council between 2014 and 2016 but failed to meet fire safety standards.

The blaze, which started in a fridgefreezer in a fourth-floor flat, was able to

‘Very high levels of fire protection’

travel through a nearby open window before spreading via the cladding.

The report highlighted the use of ‘combustible’ insulation material and uPVC plastic cladding in the revamp. But it also identified major flaws in other measures.

Cavity barriers meant to stop fire were installed back to front or upside down and were ‘insufficient’ to bridge the gap between the surface of the 24-storey building and the cladding.

Such defects created a chimney-like effect that ‘provided a route for fire to spread’, said BRE experts.

Window frames were narrower than the gap they were placed in, meaning the blaze could move to the building’s facade and back into other flats.

There was also a lack of so-called ‘door closers’ that automatically shut a door.

The absence of a sprinkler system and the narrow single internal stairwell also breached building regulations.

The cumulative effect of the failings provided ‘fuel’ for the fire to spread. The Metropolitan Police, which has received a draft of the report, said evidence could be used to bring about criminal charges.

A public inquiry is due to start next month.

Kensington and Chelsea Council said it was ‘committed to finding the truth’.