Grenfell Tower: a timeline of failures

Learning activitySelf-paced14 events

Trace the key decisions, missed warnings and systemic failures before, during and after the Grenfell Tower fire of 14 June 2017, in which 72 people lost their lives.

How this works. Use the three phase tabs to move between Before, During and After the fire. Click each event to expand it and read about the failure. A reflection prompt accompanies each entry. Once you have explored all events, a final reflection section will appear at the bottom.

0 of 14 explored

Final reflection

Take a few minutes to consider the following questions.

The Inquiry concluded the fire was the result of “decades of failure” by government and industry. Which failures do you think were most preventable, and why?

What patterns or recurring themes do you notice across the before, during and after phases?

What does this timeline suggest about the relationship between cost-cutting, deregulation and public safety?

Self-check: can you identify…

At least two ways the building’s fire safety was compromised before the fire Why the “stay put” advice became dangerous on the night The role that cost and deregulation played in creating the conditions for the fire At least two ways the response after the fire has been criticised as inadequate Why residents’ warnings before the fire went unheeded