Firefighters tackling the fatal Lakanal House fire last year did not have access to building plans, the head of fire safety regulation at London Fire Brigade has said.

Picture courtesy of London Fire Brigade

It was among a number of factors that affected the rescue effort on 3 July, Steve Turek told delegates at the Fire and Rescue conference in the week of the first anniversary of the fire.

The fire, which resulted in six deaths, travelled in an unpredictable way – spreading in all directions rather than just upwards, he said. Smoke logging on a single stairwell also hampered efforts. The two-storey flats in Lakanal House are arranged in an interlocking ‘scissor’ split level design.

Constant media coverage, including the presence of a Sky News helicopter, eye witness accounts and interviews were also among the difficult and “intense” conditions Mr Turek said the Brigade faced while battling with the blaze. This circumstance was compounded by visible fatalities and rush-hour traffic.

On the back of the tragedy – which is still the subject of a police investigation before a full inquest can take place – Mr Turek said the Brigade was working with other professional bodies to identify similar buildings in London that might be at risk. Fire safety inspectors were looking at all elements of the building’s history, as well as RRO compliance.

It is important to educate landlords and “not do the work for them” Mr Turek said, speaking at Harrogate International Centre.

He added that a serious increase in fires in the capital was due to faulty workmanship during and after construction, poor specification of materials and a lack of adequate building control and signoff.