London fire: Urgent checks of Dudley flats after Grenfell Tower blaze
Safety procedures at high-rise flats in Dudley will be reviewed in the wake of the London tower block blaze, a leading official confirmed.
At least 12 people have died after a huge fire destroyed the Grenfell Tower block in west London with the death toll expected to rise.
Residents who escaped complained raised safety fears with claims over the lack of fire alarms.
Dudley Council chief executive Sarah Norman took to social media to express her shock at the unfolding tragedy in London.
She said steps would be taken to 'check safety systems' at tower blocks across the borough.
She tweeted: "Devastated by news of fire in London tower block. We are taking urgent steps to check safety systems and the advice we give @dudleymbc [Dudley Council] tenants.
In Sandwell - where there is 55 high-rise blocks - chiefs said they all adhere to fire safety standards.
The council said fire doors were fitted inside individual flats and throughout communal spaces, while individual flats have smoke and heat detectors which are regularly tested.
All council-owned blocks have automatic smoke ventilation systems, bin room sprinkler systems, bin chute cut-off slides and dry risers – pipes used by the fire service to distribute water to multiple levels of a building.
Cladding used in the borough is designed not to spread fire and the insulation is inflammable.
Sandwell Council leader Steve Eling said: "The fire in London is an absolute tragedy and my thoughts are with those killed, injured and who have lost their homes.
"I want to reassure our residents in Sandwell that we have robust fire safety measures in our properties. All refurbishments that we do are in-line with current fire safety legislation as a minimum.”
"Once investigations are complete and we know the full details of how the fire in Grenfell Tower spread so quickly, we will have a clearer picture of any extra measures we need to put in place to prevent anything similar happening in Sandwell.
“The most important message to our tenants is to say that we have strict fire safety regulations and safeguards in place to stop a fire spreading should one ever break out in one of our blocks.”
Wolverhampton Homes, which manages council flats in the city, said in a statement: “We have 36 tower blocks across the city and they are all maintained to high standards with fire safety as a top priority.
“A number of those blocks have external cladding and whilst we are confident that the cladding is of the correct standard, to be certain, we will undergo urgent checks with the manufacturers.
“We work closely with the fire service and they have not advised of any issues.
“We will look carefully to see if any lessons can be learned from this terrible incident in London.”
Wolverhampton Homes said it carried out daily fire safety checks fire retardant paint in communal areas to prevent flames spreading.
Walsall Housing Group moved to reassure residents, saying all of its blocks of flats ‘conform to rigorous legislative fire safety standards’.
London mayor Sadiq Khan said said there would be a 'great many questions over the coming days' over the blaze as he moved to reassure people.
London Fire Brigade said the cause of the blaze was still being investigated but several residents reported claims it started by a faulty fridge.
A major incident has been declared with dozens of people being treated at hospitals across the captial.
