[1] The building dates from the mid-1960s and is of the unusual scissor section construction where each apartment is spread over several floors in an interlocking design.
[1] The fire response teams were confused by the complex layout of the building and of the flat itself.
Firefighters James Shears and Alan Bannon were overcome by sudden exposure to intense heat and died at the top landing of the flat.
[3] The escaping firefighters got tangled in cables that fell from the roof, both inside and outside the flat,[4] after the heat from the fire melted the plastic trunking they were contained in.
[6] These included: Changes to the British Standards electrical wiring regulations finally came into force in July 2015 following the Shirley Towers tragedy, and the previous Harrow Court fire, where similar problems were a factor in firefighter deaths.