Flammable cladding was ‘almost completely removed’ on Dagenham block before fire

The fire brigade said that the exact cause of the fire has not been determined due to a lack of CCTV, physical or witness evidence.

A full scene examination could not be undertaken as the building and scaffolding were declared unsafe.

The Spectrum Building was a mixed commercial and residential property of seven floors and a basement, built circa 1974 and converted into flats in 2016.

The ground floor was in use as a children’s nursery and the upper floors contained residential properties.

At the time of the fire, the exterior of the building had a scaffold around it, which was erected in February 2024.

The original building’s five floors (ground to fourth) were of concrete construction. During its conversion to flats a timber frame extension was added to the top of the building, creating the fifth and sixth floors. This extension was originally covered with “non-compliant cladding”.

The non-compliant cladding had been identified as a risk and had been “almost completely removed”, the LFB said. “Remedial works were in their final stages, with replacement non-combustible cladding being installed.”

The fire on 26 August 2024 was initially discovered by a resident of the block, after they looked out of their window and saw flames directly below and could see the scaffold alight. They evacuated and called the LFB; this was the first of 16 calls.

Control operators informed callers that the property was under special evacuation measures and that the residents needed to evacuate the property.

The initial attending fire engines arrived “quickly” and found a “well-developed fire” at the rear of the property, affecting approximately 50% of the scaffolding and flats. Firefighters instigated an emergency evacuation.

The LFB declared the fire as a ‘major incident’, which involved 40 fire engines, four aerial appliances and nine specialist fire rescue units. Firefighters evacuated 80 people and carried out 20 rescues using fire escape hoods.

A total of 81 residents were displaced by the fire and relocated to the Becontree Leisure Centre. Five of these residents were assessed for injuries, of which two were conveyed to hospital with smoke inhalation. All other residents were discharged at the scene.

The block sustained fire damage to approximately 60% of the ground, first, second, third and fourth floors; and more than 80% of the fifth and sixth floors. The roof and the solar arrays suffered partial collapse.

Following the fire, both the scaffolding and the building were declared unsafe, limiting the physical on-scene fire investigation. The building was demolished in December 2024.

The development of the fire has been attributed to “several unknown flaming objects” seen on CCTV, travelling through the air and landing in the play area igniting combustible materials, which cause the fire to spread up the building, involving the timber scaffolding boards.

The LFB said: “With the evidence available at this time, it is not possible to state whether this was an accidental or deliberate act; although it should be noted that at the time of this report being issued, there is no evidence of a criminal act, and the police do not currently have any ongoing lines of enquiry.”

The Metropolitan Police closed its investigation into the fire in October, saying it found no criminal evidence behind the blaze.

The LFB is continuing to investigate fire safety matters regarding possible offences under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, which are outside of the scope of its fire investigation report.