The Grenfell Tower fire killed 72 people, making it the deadliest structural fire in the UK since 1988 and triggering major building safety reforms.
Key Facts
- Deaths
- 72 (70 at scene, 2 later in hospital)
- Injured
- More than 70
- Survivors escaped
- 223
- Fire duration
- 60 hours
- Firefighters deployed
- More than 250
- Fire engines deployed
- 70
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Grenfell Tower, a 24-storey council-owned residential block in North Kensington, had undergone a refurbishment that included the installation of exterior cladding later found not to comply with fire safety regulations. Poor building management, inadequate fire safety systems, and deregulation policies contributed to conditions that allowed a small fire to spread rapidly across the building's facade.
In the early hours of 14 June 2017, fire broke out at 00:54 BST and rapidly engulfed the tower's exterior. Over 250 London Fire Brigade firefighters and 70 fire engines responded, alongside London Ambulance Service crews, specialist paramedics, the Metropolitan Police, and London's Air Ambulance. The blaze burned for 60 hours, killing 72 people and injuring more than 70 others, with 223 residents escaping.
The fire prompted a major public inquiry, police investigations, and a government-commissioned review of building regulations. It exposed a widespread cladding crisis affecting tower blocks across the UK and internationally, leading to extensive remediation efforts. A final inquiry report published in February 2025 made 58 recommendations, all accepted by government. Criminal proceedings remain ongoing, with trials expected no earlier than 2027. Demolition of the tower began in September 2025.
Human Cost
Each dot represents approximately 10,000 deaths. Total estimated: 72 (fire)