Fire in Grenfell Tower
The Grenfell Tower in London England, fire that killed 72 people in 2017.
The final 17.000 pages report concluded after six-years public inquiry.
- The way building safety is managed in England and Wales is “seriously defective” and “complex and fragmented”.
- Successive governments “ignored, delayed or disregarded” concerns about the safety of industry practices.
- Manufacturers of cladding and insulation products “deliberately concealed” the fire risks.
Read more here.
Fire in Valencia – Spain
Modern Building Alliance is aware that a heavy fire broke out on 22 February 2024 in a tall building in Valencia in Spain. (relevant statement).
First media reports, shortly after the fire, reported that polyurethane insulation was involved in this incident, based on one expert statement. The expert in question has now made it clear that polyurethane was not involved in the fire.
We hope that the investigation will clarify, as quickly as possible, the exact circumstances of the fire and why it spread through the façade so quickly.
Our commitment is to closely follow and endorse the conclusions and insights gained, contributing to the enhancement of fire safety standards for high-rise building facades.
Please refer to the official Press Release from IPUR, the Spanish PU Association. You may also access the statement made by PU Europe.
Official Note of Correction of COGITI
Arnaud Duvielguerbigny, President of the Executive Board of the Modern Building Alliance & Secretary General PU Europe, in his communication with Esther Puchades & COGITI Valencia (Official College of Industrial Technical Engineers of Valencia), asked for a correction and re-wording of their statements on the tragic fire in Valencia (Sp) where insulation materials and polyurethane were implicitly blamed for the fire.
COGITI Valencia replied, emphasizing:
«…. According to this evidence, the thermal insulation of the ventilated façade was made of wool mineral and aluminum composite (ACM) outer cladding. Therefore, the polyurethane could not influence the rapid spread of the fire, as it was not present on the ventilated façade.…».
