On June 14, 2017, a fire started in a flat in Grenfell Tower in London. Something went horribly wrong. The structure was supposed to be able to contain a fire in a single flat. It didn’t. And 72 people lost their lives that day.
“Grenfell: Uncovered”
The documentary, “Grenfell: Uncovered,” premieres June 20 on Netflix, and it gives the survivors of this tragedy their chance to tell their stories. It goes into the scandal that was uncovered after the fire. About how choices made in materials used for updates to the building gave the fire fuel to create a situation that could not be controlled.
The film was directed by Olaide Sadiq and was produced by Rogan Productions. It includes people who were residents of Grenfell Tower as well as firefighters and others who can shed light on what happened that day.
The fire started in the kitchen of one flat and, before it could be contained by firefighters, it broke out through the window and spread along the outside of the building. There was a policy in place for residents to stay in their flats in case of a fire. So many of them obeyed this rule, with some even going to higher levels to shelter with friends. Some people fled the building safely. And firefighters were able to rescue some trapped people. But, because of many factors, some were trapped and could not be saved.
In the trailer, they mention “combustible cladding.” Cladding is something that’s on the outside of a building, which helps to provide insulation and to “protect the building from external conditions. In this case, they had used a material that is extremely combustible, and this apparently allowed the fire to spread quickly on the outside.
Grenfell Today
According to The Herald Scotland, the government has announced that the building is to be demolished, though some survivors have criticized that decision. A memorial commission is considering how to use the location for a memorial.
