Grenfell Tower: Minute by minute of how the tragedy unfolded

4 September 2024, 10:42

More than seven years on, a long-awaited report into the deaths of 72 people in the Grenfell Tower fire is being published.

The lengthy document - the final report of the inquiry into the 2017 disaster - is expected to lay out in detail its findings around the actions of corporate firms in the construction industry, the local authority, London Fire Brigade and government.

Families of those killed have insisted it must be a "landmark report" which prompts wide-scale change after what was described as a "spider's web of blame" was spun during inquiry hearings.

A report in 2019, from the first phase of the inquiry, concluded the tower's cladding did not comply with building regulations and was the "principal" reason for the rapid and "profoundly shocking" spread of the blaze.

Here is a timeline of how the tragedy unfolded on June 14, 2017.

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June 14

Before 1am

A fire broke out in the kitchen of a fourth floor flat just before 1am on June 14, 2017. It began "in or around" a Hotpoint fridge-freezer.

Within minutes, the fire had spread to all four sides of the building.

The fire brigade logged a call at 12.54am, with fire engines arriving at the scene by 12.59am.

1.07am

The first fire crews entered the flat at 1.07am, according to shots from a thermal imaging camera.

They searched the bedrooms first and did not enter the kitchen until 1.14am.

Once they entered the kitchen, a firefighter described seeing an "isolated curtain of flame from about 2-3 feet in the air to the ceiling".

1.09am

Images were taken from outside the building by flat occupant Behailu Kebede, who had called the emergency services.

The pictures showed flames surrounding the kitchen window as they continued to "develop and grow".

They were "external to the building" by 1.09am.

The approximate timings suggest the fire had reached the cladding before the firefighters made it to the kitchen.

1.26am

The fire quickly spread upwards through the east side of the tower.

Video footage showed it reaching the top floor of the east side by 1.26am - less than half an hour after firefighters had arrived on the scene.

The tower had a 'stay put' fire policy, with residents told to stay in their flats. By this time, the policy had "substantially failed". It resulted in many residents being trapped as the fire continued to grow, while others ignored the advice and made their way out.

1.38am

Some 144 people managed to get out of the building by 1.38am, counsel to the Grenfell inquiry Richard Millet QC told a hearing in 2018.

1.42am

The fire had spread to the north side of the tower by 1.42am, according to fire safety engineer Dr Barbara Lane at the Grenfell Public Inquiry.

1.52am

The fire began to also travel in the other direction - from the eastern side of the tower to the south.

2.06am

The London Fire Brigade declared a "major incident" - with 40 fire engines either already at the scene or making their way there.

2.10am

Several internal fires were visible inside the building.

2.22am

The fire spread to the south side of the tower block.

2.30am

The eastern side of the block became "fully involved in fire".

2.47am

Stay put advice was finally abandoned and people were advised to "make efforts to leave the building".

Only 36 people were able to evacuate after the guidance was dropped.

2.51am

Flames engulfed the western side of the block. Around 63 flats were on fire and more than 100 people were trapped in their flats.

4.30am

The whole building was on fire, with more than 100 flats in flames.

June 15

1.14am

The blaze finally burnt itself out - more than 24 hours later.