A timeline of events surrounding the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire in west London, which claimed 72 lives

LONDON – The worst residential fire in the UK since World War II killed 72 people in a tower block in west London more than seven years ago.

The inquiry, whose final report will be published on Wednesday, began shortly after the fire at Grenfell Tower, which broke out in the early hours of June 14, 2017, quickly engulfing the 25-storey apartment building.

Below is a summary of how the disaster unfolded and what happened after the flames were extinguished:

June 14, 2017

At 12:54am, London Fire Brigade received a call saying a fire had broken out in a fourth-floor flat in Grenfell Tower. Just half an hour later, flames had reached the roof of the building.

The blaze’s rapid spread is being blamed on the highly flammable aluminum composite cladding (ACM) that was recently installed as part of the building’s renovation. Survivors also wonder why people were told to stay in their apartments when the building was engulfed in flames.

June 15, 2017

Prime Minister Theresa May announces a public inquiry into the fire. Martin Moore-Bick, a retired Court of Appeal judge, is appointed chairman of the inquiry two weeks later.

July 28, 2017

Judith Hackitt, a chemical engineer and former chair of the UK’s National Commission for Safety at Work, is appointed to lead a review of the Building Regulations.

September 19, 2017

London’s Metropolitan Police are widening their investigation into the fire; detectives are considering charges of individual and corporate manslaughter.

November 30, 2017

The petition, backed by singer Adele, calls on then-Prime Minister May to expand the Grenfell Commission of Inquiry, amid concerns that Moore-Bick had no direct experience of life as a social tenant in a multicultural borough.

January 29, 2018

Maria del Pilar Burton, a 74-year-old survivor, is dying in a palliative care facility. She is believed to be the 72nd victim of the fire.

May 17, 2018

Hackitt recommends “fundamental reform” of fire safety regulations in a report that describes a “race to the bottom” in building safety as building owners put the desire to save money ahead of safety.

May 21, 2018

The inquest will begin with seven days of memorial hearings, starting with a tribute to the youngest victim of the fire, stillborn Logan Gomes.

June 14, 2018

A year on from the fire, survivors and bereaved relatives gather to lay white roses at the foot of Grenfell Tower. They are joined by rapper Stormzy, a Londoner who has backed locals’ campaign for better representation at the inquest. Across the country, people observe 72 seconds of silence in memory of the victims.

June 21, 2018

Firefighters begin giving evidence to the inquest. London Fire Brigade Commissioner Dany Cotton tells the inquest she wouldn’t change anything about her team’s response on the night of the fire. Survivors react with anger.

September 30, 2018

The British Government has banned the use of flammable cladding on all residential buildings over 18 metres (59 feet) high, as well as schools, care homes, student accommodation and hospitals.

June 18, 2019

Survivors and grieving families display a message in the House of Commons reading: “Two years on from the Grenfell disaster, this building has still not kept its promises #DemandChange.”

October 30, 2019

The investigation releases its Phase I report, attributing the rapid spread of flames to the polyethylene core ACM panels “acting as a fuel source.”

The London Fire Brigade was also criticised for allowing a “stay-in-place” order to remain in place even as it became clear that safety systems were failing, leading to an increase in the death toll.

The report’s recommendations include calls for legislation requiring evacuation plans for all high-rise residential buildings, more frequent inspections of elevators and fire doors, better training for firefighters and improved communications between emergency services.

November 6, 2019

Jacob Rees-Mogg, then Speaker of the House of Commons, apologised for suggesting that Grenfell victims should exercise “common sense” and ignore fire service advice not to leave their homes.

February 24, 2020

Campaigners are calling on the Government to set up a multi-billion pound fund to replace unsafe cladding after research suggests more than half a million people could be living in unsafe homes. The Association of Residential Managing Agents said that while Grenfell had highlighted the dangers of ACM cladding, it had also exposed a much wider building safety crisis.

March 11, 2020

Rishi Sunak, then Prime Minister of the Treasury, set up a £1 billion fund to remove dangerous cladding from high-rise residential buildings.

January 19, 2021

The Government is promising a new regulator to improve the safety of building materials after the Grenfell inquiry “shines a light” on unfair practices by some manufacturers, including “deliberate attempts to game the system and manipulate safety test results”.

February 10, 2021

Robert Jenrick, then housing secretary, announces a new £3.5bn package to cover the cost of removing dangerous cladding from mid-rise and high-rise buildings. Critics say the scheme does not do enough to address the problems of people who bought flats in unsafe buildings and are now unable to sell because of delays in tackling fire safety issues.

June 14, 2022

Prince William and British politicians attend memorial service to mark five years since fire, with some saying Grenfell families feel “abandoned” after half a decade of “betrayal” by the Department of Housing and slow progress on improving safety.

May 2024

London’s Metropolitan Police Service confirms that bereaved families and survivors may have to wait until the end of 2026 for a decision on potential criminal charges. The Met says the police will not complete its investigation until the end of 2025 and prosecutors are likely to need another year to determine whether any charges will be brought.

July 2024

Government figures show the slow pace of removing unsafe cladding from buildings in England. While the council has identified 4,630 dwellings of 11 metres (36 feet) or more that have unsafe cladding, only around half (2,299) have started or completed remedial work. Fewer than a third (1,350) have completed the work.

August 26, 2024

A huge fire at an east London apartment building is reminding people of the dangers of flammable cladding. While no one died in the blaze, more than 80 residents were evacuated from the six-storey building where contractors were removing the “non-compliant” cladding.

September 4, 2024

The final report of the Grenfell inquiry has been published.