Fire Investigation and Technical Reports
Report on the Fire which occurred at the Marina Pinnacle, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on 13 June 2025
Size: 34 pages Date: December 2025 Up to 1000 buildings in Dubai are covered in ACM cladding. There are around 70 fires per year in high-rise buildings, most of which go unreported. Some of these fires also claim lives, although fortunately in this case no-one died. The fire safety issues which affect these buildings, including those associated with combustible cladding will not go away unless a programme of remediation is instigated. Many of these skyscrapers look impressive on the outside, but inside it is a different story, with cramped living conditions and poor maintenance.
Report on the Fire which Occurred at Nene Valley Retail Park, Northampton, UK, on 31 May 2025
Size: 50 pages Date: September 2025
The fire began in the Dunelm store and quickly spread to the adjoining Pets at Home. Both retail units were destroyed and the others in the row were damaged to a lesser extent. Combustible cladding, confusion over the fire alarm and the fire resistance of steel-framed buildings are issues highlighted in this report.
Fire Investigation report for Poeta Rafael Alberti 2, Valencia, Spain on 22 February 2024
Size: 159 pages Date: June 2025 Investigation report into the tragic fire which occurred in a high-rise building in Valencia, Spain on 22 February 2024, which claimed ten lives. An initial draft (60 pages) was released in March 2024 in an attempt to provide some answers when not much was known about the fire. This newer version is up-to-date and is particularly detailed.
Fire report for the Torre del Moro, Milan, Italy (29 August 2021)
Size: 28 pages Date: September 2021
This serious fire resulted in “most of the building being engulfed in flames.” It had similarities to Grenfell because the fire rapidly consumed the facade then broke into the flats through failed windows, thus breaching the compartmentation from the outside. Fortunately, all residents escaped and no lives were lost, but their homes were destroyed.
Fire Report for The Spectrum building in Dagenham, Essex on 26 August 2024
Size: 42 pages Date: November 2024 – At the time of the fire, the building was undergoing remediation work to remove combustible high pressure laminate (HPL) panels from the facade. Instead of these panels being stored away in a safe place after removal, they were left on the scaffolding; this had been erected to allow the work to take place. On the night of 26 August, a fire occurred in a flat on one of the upper floors. Witnesses describe hearing a loud bang as the window failed and flames shot out towards the scaffolding. The combustible materials ignited, and the fire spread downwards through the scaffolding structure, aided by combustible materials on the balconies.
Fire Report for a high rise building in Rome, Italy (2 June 2023)
Size: 31 pages Date: July 2023
This fire had several issues in common with Grenfell, including a breach of compartmentation from the outside, and smoke logging of escape routes. “The fire started underneath the building and then spread rapidly up the front elevation as it developed and gained intensity. Witnesses described it as” rolling across the face of the building,” causing windows to fail and allowing flames and smoke into the flats.” One person died and others sustained serious injuries. In this case, combustible materials were in the process of being installed on the building rather than removed.
Fire report for 8 Boulevard Walk, Dubai (7 November 2022)
DescriptionSize: 29 pages Date: December 2022
“The fire spread rapidly up the facade of the building, the flames extending the entire height, from the podium to the roof“. This fire in a 36-storey building in Dubai, involved Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) which is the same type which was used at Grenfell Tower.
Fire report for the China Telecom Tower, Changsha (16 September 2022)
Size: 18 pages Date: September 2022
Little is known about most facade fires which occur in China, and this and other reports about fires which have occurred in the country, aim to look at the causes and safety issues associated with these incidents. This forty-storey building, one of the many new skyscrapers to grace the skyline of Chinese cities, suffered a huge fire with flames extending the height of several floors.
Fire report for Meridian Point, Deptford, London (26 April 2022)
Size: 25 pages Date: June 2022
This fire occurred at a medium rise block of flats, caused by hot work being carried out by contractors. “Although the fire did not involve cladding, a substantial amount of other combustible materials were present and the overall construction of the building appears to have lacked the ability to resist fire.”
Fire report for the Relay Building, London (7 March 2022)
Size: 24 pages Date: April 2022
“The fire sent parts of the facade crashing down into the street below, presenting a hazard to passers-by, evacuating residents and the emergency services, including firefighters.” This 22-storey building above Aldgate Tube Station, has a glazed facade which failed when a fire broke out on the 17th floor. Aldgate Tube Station was filled with smoke.
Fire report for the Marina Diamond 2, Dubai (23 October 2021)
Size: 36 pages Date: November 2021
There are believed to be as many as 1000 buildings in the UAE city of Dubai which have Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) on the facade. This is the same type of cladding that was used at Grenfell Tower and it has been involved in several fires in the UAE in recent years.
An Analysis of the Design, Installation & Materials of the Cladding System at Grenfell Tower
Size: 50 pages Date: September 2020
Apart from the combustible cladding, there were also several serious structural defects associated with the refurbishment of Grenfell Tower. Based on the Author’s own examination and analysis of the cladding system and new window installation, this report identifies the errors which were made, the poor workmanship and the bad design. It also includes several issues which have not been fully realised by others who examined the building.
Fire Report for the Xintiandi Building, Tianjin, China (22 August 2023)
Size: 24 pages Date: October 2023
There have been several high-rise fires in China in recent years. In this case, there were two in a single day, both leaving smoke plumes across the clear blue sky. “Those who were working inside the building fled for their lives, some still clutching their laptop computers. One of these workers, upon turning round to look at the building he had just left, described it as being “completely red“.
Other Reports (available by request)
