EARLY THIS MORNING A MASSIVE
FIRE TORE THROUGH THE GRAND FELT BUILDING IN WEST LONDON.
UP TO
POSSIBLY 600 PEOPLE WERE BELIEVED TO BE IN THE APARTMENT
BUILDING, MANY OF THEM TRAPPED AS THE FIRE CONTINUED.
IT IS
BELIEVED TO HAVE BROKEN OUT ON ONE OF THE BOTTOM FLOORS.
IT IS HORRIFYING.
YES, LONDON ñ THIS HAS BEEN THERE DAY DEALING WITH THIS
FIRE.
TRAGICALLY MANY DID DIE
ALREADY.
AS THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON, PEOPLE ARE WONDERING WHAT
CAUSED THIS?
HOW DID
IT SPREAD
SO QUICKLY?
THERE'S BEEN A LOT
OF TALK ABOUT THE REPLACEMENT OF
THE CLOUDING ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE BUILDING.
SOME PEOPLE SAY IT
WAS MAINLY REPLACED TO MAKE THE BUILDING LOOK COSMETICALLY MORE
ATTRACTIVE BUT THEORETICALLY IT COULD'VE MADE IT MORE VULNERABLE
TO FIRE.
WE DO NOT KNOW IF THAT HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH HOW THE
FIRE SPREAD.
IF IT IS FOUND THAT FAULTY WIRING WAS THE CAUSE, I THINK
IT'S JUST ONE OF MANY EXAMPLES
THAT THERE ARE SOME REGULATIONS THAT MATTER.
IF YOU PUT THIS IN
THE US CONTEXT, IF YOU EVER WANT TO DO ANY TYPE OF REFURBISHMENT
OR REMODELING IN YOUR HOME YOU HAVE TO GO GET PERMITS.
IT IS
SUPER ANNOYING.
WHY WOULD THIS BE ON YOUR MIND NOW?
PERMITS ARE THERE FOR A REASON, TO ENSURE THE WORK IS
DONE BY A LICENSED PROFESSIONAL.
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ELECTRICITY
AND THE POTENTIAL FOR A
DISASTROUS FIRE.
REGULATIONS LIKE THAT
MAKE SENSE.
IT BREAKS
MY HEART TO KNOW THAT IF THE FAULTY WIRING IS WHAT CAUSED
THIS, IT BREAKS MY HEART THAT THESE PEOPLE JUST DIDN'T CARE
ENOUGH ABOUT THE WELL-BEING OF INDIVIDUALS LIVING IN THE
BUILDING TO ACTUALLY DO THE RIGHT THING.
IT SAYS THAT THERE WAS COMPLAINTS FOR YEARS.
IT'S CRAZY
TO LOOK AT THE LAST CENTURY AND SEE HOW MUCH HORRIFIC DEADLY
FIRES DEFINED THE CENTURY.
WE DON'T SEE THESE THINGS HAPPEN
ANYMORE.
IT'S DEVASTATING AND IT WAS PREVENTABLE.
THESE PEOPLE
NEED TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE AND CRIMINALLY CHARGED SO WE CAN SET
AN EXAMPLE.
YOU CANNOT CUT COSTS BECAUSE PEOPLE WILL DIE.
AT THE END OF THE DAY WE ALL KNOW WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU
DEREGULATE AND ALLOW PEOPLE TO RUN THEIR BUSINESSES OR THEIR
COMPANIES TO SEE FIT.
ONE OF THE WAYS OF CUTTING COSTS IS MAY BE
HIRING PEOPLE BUT DON'T DO THE
JOB PROPERLY.
HOPEFULLY THAT IS THE LESSON THAT IS LEARNED FROM THE START
BUT WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT CAUSED
THE FIRE.