Canadian building standards meant to guard against fires like London blaze
TORONTO — Canadian building standards should theoretically prevent the sort of blaze that engulfed a London apartment tower earlier this week, but at least one expert says flouting those regulations can put people in serious danger.
Exterior panelling known as cladding that was recently installed on the 24-storey Grenfell Tower is increasingly being cited as a factor in the blaze that killed at least 30 people and left dozens of others still missing.
British engineering experts have begun speculating that the cladding was constructed of inferior, combustible materials that helped spread the fire rapidly up the building.
Engineers say cladding is a common and often necessary feature of buildings that is used to prevent moisture from seeping into the main structure.