London fire traced to freezer

LONDON -- London police said Friday that a deadly fire last week that killed at least 79 people began in a refrigerator freezer -- the first official confirmation of the cause of the blaze.

The fridge freezer, a Hotpoint FF175BP, was not subject to a product recall, police said, adding that a key concern in their investigation is how a fire that originated in the kitchen of one apartment spread so rapidly though a 24-story high-rise. The fire was not started deliberately, they said.

The police also said they are considering manslaughter charges after the insulation and tiles used in the building's exterior cladding failed fire-safety tests.

"Preliminary tests on the insulation samples collected from Grenfell Tower showed that they combusted soon after the test started," Detective Superintendent Fiona McCormack told reporters. She added that the cladding tiles also failed safety tests.

The government ordered an immediate examination of the refrigerator model that started the blaze.

Hotpoint said Friday that "words cannot express our sorrow at this terrible tragedy" and added it was working with authorities to examine the appliance.

There has been widespread attention on the building's exterior cladding. Combustible cladding has been blamed for fast-moving fires at high-rise buildings in places including Dubai and Melbourne, Australia.

Investigators said they are looking into various aspects of the facade of Grenfell Tower, including the aluminum tiles, the insulation behind them and how the tiles were affixed.

The British government is also conducting tests at hundreds of high-rise apartments to see whether they have potentially flammable exterior tiles. Samples from 14 buildings in London, Manchester and Plymouth have already been found to be combustible.

The London borough of Camden said it has begun evacuating 800 households in tower blocks after fire authorities said they could not guarantee the safety of residents. Camden council leader Georgia Gould told Sky News on Friday that a rest center has been set up and that hotels were being found for residents.

An estimated 4,000 residents of the five high-rises were being relocated while the problems are addressed, said the council. It was encouraging residents to stay with friends and family but promised to provide temporary accommodations for those without other options. Repairs could take as long as four weeks, it said.

"I've made the really difficult decision of moving the people living there into temporary accommodation," said Gould. "I know it's going to be difficult, but Grenfell changes everything. I just don't believe that we can take any risks with our residents' safety, and I just have to put them first."

Justin Fuller, a resident of one of the buildings ordered evacuated, said he had been out having a drink with friends in a pub when he saw the news of the relocations on television.

"This feels like a sick joke," said Fuller, who was reached by phone. "They are playing with our minds. Yesterday they were telling us our building was safe. Now we have to pack up all our things and our small kids in the middle of the night in a state of emergency?"

Fuller said his wife had been informed of the evacuation by the fire department and was told to pack a bag for at least four weeks.

"She hasn't been told where we are staying tonight," he said.

British Prime Minister Theresa May offered a message of sympathy to the affected residents, taking to Twitter to pledge she would work with relevant authorities to offer support.

"My thoughts are with residents being evacuated in Camden while their homes are made safe tonight," she said.

McCormack said manslaughter charges are among those police are considering in relation to the fire.

"We are looking at every criminal offense, from manslaughter onwards. We are looking at every health and safety and fire safety offenses, and we are reviewing every company at the moment involved in the building and refurbishment of Grenfell Tower," she said.

McCormack said every intact body has been removed from the building and that nine of the dead have been formally identified. She added that the fire was so intense officials may never be able to identify everyone who died.

"We want to identify all those who died as result of the fire at Grenfell Tower, and that is where I need the public's help," McCormack said. "I do not want there to be any hidden victims of this tragedy."

Police have reviewed more than 600 calls made to Britain's universal emergency number on the night of the fire to try to piece together events. "Some of these calls are over an hour long and truly harrowing," McCormack said.

Information for this article was contributed by Karla Adam of The Washington Post; by Danica Kirka and Alastair J. Grant of The Associated Press; and by Ceylan Yeginsu, Iliana Magra and Michael Wolgelenter of The New York Times.

A Section on 06/24/2017