After Grenfell

After Grenfell In the early hours of 14th June 2017, a fire broke out on the 4th floor of a tower block in the borough of Kensington and Chelsea in West London. Videos show that the fire had reached the 26th floor in 30 minutes. Seventy-two people lost their lives that night. Kensington and Chelsea had added cladding to this building to make it look ‘prettier.’ One of the wealthiest boroughs in London opted for the cheaper option. This type of cladding is banned in the US and is the reason that the fire spread so quickly. Seventy-two people died that night. They saw the fire engines below, they saw the blaze rising, and they were told by responders to stay in their units. Seventy-two people are gone because of poor decisions made. I returned to the UK shortly after this took place. Even though the community did come together after the event, I knew that over time those who are not directly affected would go on with their lives and people will forget. For those who were affected, the memory will forever live on. Even after the well wishes, RIP letters, teddy bears and green hearts are gone, this community will always be affected. It may be two years since the fire of Grenfell, but these photos serve as reminders of those who lost and of those who care. The Grenfell Tower inquiry is still ongoing. These photos were taken during the weeks after the fire at Grenfell. They were printed numerously on top of one another to create the layering effect.