In May 2021 a significant fire broke out in the New Providence Wharf apartment building. Thirty-five rescues were carried out, 22 involving fire escape hoods and the fire was declared a major incident. Today, London Fire Brigade has informed residents of the conclusion of our investigation into fire safety failures at the block.
Serious concerns were raised about the fire safety arrangements in the New Providence Wharf apartment building after the major incident. At that point our fire safety and legal teams began an investigation to establish if any prosecutable offences had been committed under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRO).
The investigation focused on why the building’s fire alarm and Automatic Opening Vent (AOV) systems did not operate properly at the time. During the fire this resulted in a number of residents not being able to leave their flats. Fire crews had to carry out rescues as the fire took hold on the eighth, ninth and tenth floors.
We have committed significant resources into the investigation of the fire and the building’s compliance with fire safety laws. Following our extensive investigation we found that there was insufficient evidence to pass the evidential test required to bring any prosecutions relating to the fire at New Providence Wharf in May 2021.
As an enforcing authority we must abide by The Code for Crown Prosecutors which ensures any prosecutions we bring are fair and proportionate. In this case, after investing significant time and resource to exhaust all lines of inquiry, we were unable to identify that any offences had been committed under the RRO that would pass the necessary evidential test.
This outcome will understandably be a source of disappointment to the local community who have been greatly impacted by the fire, but it reflects the legal framework that the Brigade operates within.
London Fire Brigade will be engaging with the Home Office to consider whether there are opportunities to strengthen the regulatory powers of fire and rescue services to assist with future investigations.