Major Grenfell study reveals one in four firefighters suffering life-changing health conditions
3 January 2025, 00:09 | Updated: 3 January 2025, 08:33
Firefighters made the ‘ultimate sacrifice’ tackling the blaze at Grenfell as a study reveals more than a hundred are now suffering long-term diseases, LBC has been told.
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A major first-of-its-kind survey from the University of Central Lancashire has revealed one in four firefighters who responded to the fire in 2017 now suffer life-changing health conditions as scientists examine whether they are linked to exposure to toxic fumes from the inferno.
The disaster killed 72 people when a fire at the 23-story flat block was accelerated by highly flammable cladding.
More than 600 firefighters at the London Fire Brigade were involved in the first 20 hours of response, and 524 of them took part in this fresh research.
They reported 66 cases of digestive diseases, 64 respiratory diseases, 22 neurological diseases and 11 cancers.
The Fire Brigades’ Union is now calling for regular monitoring of firefighters’ health following the "shocking" report.
Read more: Labour pledges to fix all Grenfell-style cladding on Government-funded buildings in five years
Professor Anna Stec, Professor in Fire Chemistry and Toxicity at UCLAN who led the study, said: “Although it’s not possible to definitively trace any disease back to a single incident, it’s alarming that a high proportion of the firefighters who were exposed to very high smoke levels that night are now falling ill.”
Professor Stec’s research also found 89 per cent of surveyed firefighters said they were not wearing respiratory protective equipment while on the scene, many of them inside the burning building.
The study noted how Grenfell’s cladding produced "large quantities of toxic smoke" including "deep lung irritants".
LBC has spoken to one former firefighter who was diagnosed with salivary gland cancer two years later, and criticised poor equipment and a lack of health check-ups.
Jamie McDonnell, 54, from West Sussex, was a firefighter for 30 years, and was part of the second-phase response at Grenfell on the morning of Wednesday June 14, 2017.
Jamie, who took part in the UCLAN study with assistance from the Fire Brigades’ Union, told LBC a “lack of resources” meant he and colleagues had nothing more than industrial dusk masks, while working in the first 13 stories of the tower.
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He added: “When I was diagnosed with cancer, I said look more people need to be monitored because I think more firefighters are going to come to the surface with health conditions.
“Not just cancers, but heart conditions, respiratory conditions and lets not forget mental health conditions.
“Firefighters, as you can see by the numbers who’ve come forward, are paying, potentially the ultimate sacrifice with regards to what they did on the night of Grenfell.”
It comes as Public Health minister, Andrew Gwynne, told LBC on Friday that the government “recognise that people who go above and beyond, putting their own lives at risk in situations like Grenfell tower, may well end up with health issues as a consequence of their own work.”
He vowed to “seriously look at” the issue faced by emergency services and vowed to “speak with the Prime Minister in government” on the matter.
After being given a 25 per cent chance of survival, doctors were able to remove Jamie’s cancer with surgery and radiotherapy but told him it was ultimately incurable.
He described the lack of health check-ups following his exposure to the smoke in Grenfell as “absolutely shocking”.
The father of three and grandad of one is currently cancer free, and said he had a “glass half full” attitude, but has spoken out to help ensure firefighters are better protected.
“It’s not just the monitoring,” he added, “the fire helmet is one of the main culprits that has caused head and neck cancers because it’s not cleaned properly.
“Firefighters are expected to wash it with a soapy solution before wearing it again. I’m asking for better washing equipment and washing machines.
“Crews come back from an incident, they’re expected to take their t-shirts, trousers home and wash it all themselves.
“That’s potentially contaminating not only themselves but their families.”
Research also from the University of Central Lancashire in 2022 found some firefighters were up to 323 per cent more likely to develop cancer than the rest of the population.
The Fire Brigades Union is now backing calls for firefighters to be given health monitoring after they have been exposed to disasters like Grenfell.
Matt Wrack, Fire Brigades Union general secretary said: "As ever, our thoughts are with the bereaved, survivors and residents of the Grenfell Tower fire. On that tragic night, firefighters went above and beyond the save lives from an inferno that should never have happened. This new research shows that many of the firefighters who risked their own lives are now suffering serious health effects.
“We now have powerful evidence that firefighters were exposed to extreme levels of toxic smoke at the tower, many without any respiratory protection. The figures are stark, with 136 of those attending in the first 20 hours now living with one or more diseases associated with smoke exposure.
“We must learn from the aftermath of 9/11, which made it clear that enhanced health testing is vital to protecting the lives of firefighters and residents. Regular health monitoring must be rolled out across the fire and rescue service to ensure that diseases can be treated in their early stages.”
A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: “We welcome insights that can lead to better protection for firefighters.
"We supported the involvement of members of London Fire Brigade in this research, and we will continue to work closely on this with the FBU.
“We will now study the report in detail and consider what contribution it might make to the existing body of work on firefighting and health impacts, as well as any actions we might take as a result.”
