Fire breaks out in Kingston tower block

About 75 firefighters are tackling a blaze at a block of flats in south-west London.

The top four floors of the 15-storey block in the Cambridge Estate in Kingston-upon-Thames are alight, the London Fire Brigade (LFB) has said.

news.bbc.co.uk...

This is being reported as breaking news on BBC.

Yeah, I can see why... the possible loss of life.
But the image they have posted and the way that this was being reported just stirred memories of something we will all not forget.... 9/11

I've had to write these last few lines in order to add to this post... But my first and only thought was;

"I bet it don't collapse"....

Wow! I know those flats quite well. Not too well though because it's quite a rough neighbourhood.

There are a few blocks quite similar in that area and they're getting pretty old now. The lifts were usually out of order and they always looked scruffy.

I can't remember how many floors each one had, not huge but tall for that area and they could be seen for miles.

Is this a prelude to some redevelopment and demolition I wonder. (yeah, ever the conspiricist).

Let's hope the wonderful Kingston-upon-Thames fire brigade do what they have been so good at doing for decades and sort this out with a minimum loss or damage to life, their own included.

I remember supporting them when they were on strike and taking them beer and sausages for the picket line barbecue. Unsung heros, very underpaid and often underequipped and staffed because of idiotic cutbacks to feed the rich.

The Cambridge Estate must be buzzing right now, things like this don't happen often round there and one of these big (for the U.K.) blocks going up must be quite a site.

Good luck firemen, good luck residents. Keep us informed as I'm no longer in that neck of the woods but still have ties there. Cheers Extra.

[edit on 20/7/2010 by nerbot]