Residents of a block of flats in Dagenham, east London, are grappling with the aftermath of a devastating fire that broke out early Monday morning, leaving many feeling like they have “lost everything.” The blaze, which engulfed the entire multi-storey building, prompted a massive response from the London Fire Brigade (LFB), with 40 fire engines and around 225 firefighters called to the scene.
All residents have been accounted for, but the fire has left more than 80 people displaced, and many have lost their homes and possessions in the tragedy.
A Night of Terror
The fire broke out at approximately 2:44 a.m. on Freshwater Road, affecting the entire block, including scaffolding and the roof. Twenty people were rescued by firefighters in a significant search-and-rescue operation, while more than 80 residents were evacuated to safety.
Irina Vasile, a 46-year-old healthcare assistant who lived on the second floor, described the incident as a “nightmare.” Speaking from Becontree Heath Leisure Centre, where residents have been relocated, she recounted how she was woken by her partner around 3 a.m. and found dense smoke filling her apartment.
“(There was) such a dense smoke all over the apartment. When we wanted to open the window, another smoke hit our face, on the throat and the eyes,” Vasile said. We didn’t grab nothing – we lost everything.”
Like many others, Vasile expressed her fear and uncertainty. We are scared, frightened to be on the street starting from zero,” she added, emphasizing the emotional toll the fire has taken on her and her partner.
Accounts of Desperation
Sam Ogbeide, a resident of the fourth floor, described the harrowing experience of trying to escape the fire. He told reporters how smoke was pouring into his apartment and how he coughed up “black” soot from the smoke. “Everything is gone. I don’t know what to do,” Ogbeide said, echoing the sentiments of many of his neighbours.
Ogbeide and other residents recalled how chaotic the evacuation was, with people fleeing in panic, some of them not even fully dressed. “I’ve never experienced something like this in my life,” he said, describing the terrifying scene in the building’s stairwell.
Cladding Concerns and Investigation
The property was undergoing “remedial” work to remove and replace non-compliant cladding on the fifth and sixth floors. Many residents expressed frustration and anger that the cladding had not been removed sooner, citing the Grenfell Tower fire as a painful reminder of the dangers posed by flammable materials.
Emmanuelle Perraud, 54, who escaped the fire with her daughter and sister, expressed her concerns about the building’s cladding. I’m angry and concerned that the cladding hadn’t been removed faster,” Perraud said, adding that residents had complained about the scaffolding that had surrounded the building for months.
Perraud also pointed out the lack of fire safety measures, including sprinklers, and noted that she did not hear any smoke alarms except for her own battery-operated device. “None of us could see a thing and we couldn’t breathe which was the scariest thing,” she said.
Investigation Underway
An investigation into the cause of the fire has begun, with Assistant Commissioner Patrick Goulbourne of the London Fire Brigade confirming that the role of cladding will be a key focus of the inquiry. The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has already highlighted the incident as another example of the “national scandal of flammable cladding and deregulation in the building industry.
Emergency Response
The LFB declared a major incident due to the scale of the fire, which was eventually brought under control by 11:13 a.m. Firefighters used drones and turntable ladders to assess the situation and deliver water onto the fire from above. London Ambulance Service treated four people at the scene, with two of them requiring hospitalization.
Residents displaced by the fire are being supported by London Fire Brigade officers, community support teams, and local authorities at the Beacontree Health and Leisure Centre.
As the investigation continues, the community is left grappling with the devastating impact of the fire and the difficult road to recovery ahead.
