Knowsley Heights fire
 Knowsley Heights, Huyton, Merseyside in 2009 | |
| Date | 1991 |
|---|---|
| Location | Knowsley Heights, Huyton, Merseyside, England |
| Type | Structure fire |
| Cause | Rubbish fire |
| Deaths | 0 |
| Non-fatal injuries | 0 |
The Knowsley Heights fire occurred in 1991 at the 11-story Knowsley Heights tower block in Huyton, Merseyside. No-one was injured in the fire.
Fire
The fire was deliberately started when rubbish was set alight outside the 11-story Knowsley Heights tower block in Huyton, Merseyside.[1] The flames began at the bottom of the building, and spread through a 90 millimetres (3.5 in) gap between the wall and the newly installed rainscreen cladding.[1][2] The fire spread to all floors of the 11-storey building, causing extensive damage to the walls and windows of the building. The interior of the building did not suffer damage, as the fire did not enter the inside of the building.[1][2][3][4][5] No-one was injured in the fire.[3]
Aftermath
The Building Research Establishment (BRE) determined that the cladding around Knowsley Heights was a low risk of combustibility. They also highlighted that the building lacked firebreaks.[3] The incident was mentioned by BRE for subsequent changes in building regulations.[2]
See also
- 1999 Garnock Court fire
- 2005 Harrow Court fire
- 2009 Lakanal House fire
- 2017 Grenfell Tower fire
References
- ^ a b c "Burning issues". Architects' Journal. 31 May 2001. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
- ^ a b c White, Nathan; Delichatsios, Michael (July 2015). Fire Hazards of Exterior Wall Assemblies Containing Combustible Components. Springer. p. 50. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
- ^ a b c Thorp, Liam (3 July 2017). "Should Knowsley Heights blaze have been a warning from history for Grenfell?". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
- ^ Sawer, Patrick (17 June 2017). "Warnings over 'deathtrap' high-rise building cladding 'ignored' for decades". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
- ^ "How might we avert another tragedy like the Grenfell Tower fire?". The Guardian. 15 June 2017. Retrieved 7 July 2017.