logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2024
2m 30s

Grenfell: Building a Disaster - Episode ...

BBC Radio
About this episode

In the early hours of the 14th of June 2017, a fire broke out in a tower block in West London. This fire was both a personal tragedy and a national scandal.

It began in Flat 16 of Grenfell Tower. Before long, the flames reached combustible cladding and insulation, which had been installed on the outside of the building. Less than twenty minutes later, the fire had climbed 19 storeys to the top of the tower, ripping through the flammable materials. The tower was engulfed in flames at a staggering speed. Seventy two people lost their lives, hundreds lost their homes.

For the past six years, a public inquiry has been hearing evidence about what lies behind the worst residential fire in UK peacetime in one of the richest areas of the country. Kate Lamble has reported on it since the beginning. And in this series, she tries to understand what created the conditions for a fire which was both foreseeable and preventable.

The answer takes us to the heart of how Britain works, from the government and regulation, to business. This is a story of corporate deceit, government deregulation and a construction industry engaged in a race to the bottom. It’s a story of missed opportunities, unheeded warnings and the failure of a state to protect its citizens.

Up next
Sep 2024
204 The Phase 2 Report and the End of the Inquiry
The Inquiry’s Phase 2 report was released this week, distilling 400 days of evidence and more than three hundred thousand documents. The report concluded the fire which killed 72 people was the culmination of “decades of failure” by government and others in the construction indus ... Show More
44m 45s
Sep 2024
Grenfell: Building a Disaster - Ep 10: The Final Act
As the sun rises, the local council, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea are responsible for helping families try and find their loved ones and arranging accommodation for those who have just escaped Grenfell Tower.But as the situation spirals out of control, lost keys, “ ... Show More
15m 46s
Sep 2024
Grenfell: Building a Disaster - Ep 9: Stay Put
On the top floor of Grenfell Tower, Marcio Gomes and his family are waiting. Outside, the fire has wrapped itself around 3 sides of the building. But Marcio can’t see any of this. He’s relying on the information given to him by 999 call handlers, and they are telling residents th ... Show More
16m 52s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2024
Grenfell: System Failure – Scenes from the Inquiry (part 2)
Listen to part 1 Scenes from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry by Richard Norton-Taylor and Nicolas Kent On 14 June 2017, a fire broke out in Grenfell Tower in London. 72 people died. It was the worst residential fire in the UK since the second world war. The Grenfell Tower Inquiry was ... Show More
1h 6m
Jan 2025
Why the LA wildfires can't be stopped
Seven people have been killed and hundreds of thousands have evacuated their homes as wildfires raging across Los Angeles continue to spread, fueled by dry vegetation and howling winds. These conditions have highlighted the dangers of climate change and how it’s making life harde ... Show More
17m 58s
Jan 2025
LA fires: “It was like watching the end of the world”
It’s been a week since wildfires started sweeping through Los Angeles, California, destroying swathes of the city and reducing communities, homes and schools to little more than rubble and ash. The inferno has now ravaged an area larger than Manhattan. Some fires have been exting ... Show More
26m 35s
Jul 2024
Incendiary Circumstances - Part 2 | 11
On November 17, 2004 a young Calgary family settled in for the evening. At about 9pm, the husband left for work as a security guard, while his wife stayed home with their two children. In the middle of the night, she woke to the sound of shattered glass. Within minutes the entire ... Show More
53m 35s
Sep 2024
Grenfell: the lies and greed exposed
After seven long years, the inquiry into a fire in a London tower block that left 72 people dead has concluded. But is justice for the victims – and survivors – any closer?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus 
38m 37s
Jan 2025
Los Angeles is burning
Early Tuesday, wildfires started burning across Los Angeles County. The scale of the destruction is massive; entire neighborhoods are in flames, with longtime businesses, schools and houses of worship burnt to the ground.Today, guest host Rachel Siegel speaks with extreme weather ... Show More
19m 59s
Oct 2020
Get Wired: The Science of Fire Tornadoes
California’s catastrophic 2020 wildfire season kicked off midway through the hottest August on record with a dry thunderstorm in which 12,000 lighting strikes ignited hundreds of fires over the course of a week. America’s best fire researchers have been trying to learn more about ... Show More
30m 4s
Aug 2024
From the archive: The Grenfell fire (Pt 2): The cladding scandal
The Public Inquiry into the fire at Grenfell Tower will publish its final report on Wednesday. Ahead of its findings, we're re-visiting a two-part series that looked into the failings that lead to the tragedy - and the stories of the families who lived in the tower. This podcast ... Show More
44m 44s
Jan 2025
Why deadly LA wildfires are raging in winter
Five people have been killed in wildfires that have been ripping through the mountains and foothills around Los Angeles.Hurricane-force winds have sent fireballs from house to house, torching entire streets and destroying more than 1,000 buildings.Celebrities including actor Bill ... Show More
17m 15s
Mar 2025
CBS Evening News, 03/10/25
Wall Street tumbled Monday, with the Dow plunging 890 points to close at 41,912. The drop-off deepened after President Trump declined to rule out a potential recession, adding to concerns over the economic impact of his trade policies. A U.S.-flagged tanker carrying jet fuel coll ... Show More
26m 56s