30 firefighters battle 'severe' blaze at Coventry tower block

[dutchman]

Cannabis found in tower block blaze but it was 'not flat where fire started'



West Midlands Fire Service has confirmed they 'discovered cannabis being grown' in one of the flats in Nauls Mill House after they forced their way into several flats during the blaze. However, they say 'this was not the flat where the fire started'.

Officials determined that the most likely cause of the fire at the high-rise tower block was a 'carelessly discarded cigarette'. Specialist fire investigators have said that the rapid development of the inferno may have been due to 'butane aerosol cans' within the flat on the 15th floor.

Many residents had told CoventryLive they believed the cannabis find was the source of the fire, but a spokesman for West Midlands Fire Service said: "Firefighters forced their way into several flats during the incident, to check people were safe. They discovered cannabis being grown in one, but this was not the flat where the fire started. The police were alerted."

Citizen Housing has maintained that the building 'performed exactly as it should' during the fire saying crews were able to contain it to one floor 'keeping all residents safe'. Some residents of the high-rise tower block have now been let back into their homes after days of uncertainty.

Citizen has said that the majority of people living in flats up to and including the 12th floor have been allowed back in following successful electrical tests in their flats. Tenants in flats on floors 13 to 16, however, remain in temporary accommodation due to more serious electrical damage on these floors.

A spokesman for Citizen Housing said: "The majority of customers living in flats up to and including floor 12 are now back in their homes following successful electrical tests in their flats. Customers in flats on floors 13-16 remain in temporary accommodation due to more serious electrical damage on these floors.

"Specialist fire investigators found a small number of butane aerosol cans within the flat on the 15th floor which could have played a contributory factor to the Nauls Mill House fire’s development. West Midlands Fire Service has determined the most likely cause of the fire at Nauls Mill House on Saturday evening was a carelessly discarded cigarette in the living room of the flat on the 15th floor."

[dutchman]

Had a black envelope delivered through my door this morning, thought at first it might be an invitation to a funeral? Turned out to be a fire safety brochure from Citizen. The accompanying letter was dated 13th April, the day after the above fire. It was essentially blaming tenants for the blaze and failed to mention how the lifts and electrical systems - entirely the responsibility of Citizen - all failed.