'Flying flaming objects' helped spread fire - LFB

The report said a separate investigation into possible fire safety breaches within the block was ongoing

"Unknown flaming objects" travelled through the air and landed on a nursery attached to a block of flats in east London, a report into the cause of the fire found.

London Fire Brigade (LFB) said the objects ignited combustible materials, which led to flames spreading up the building on Freshwater Road, Dagenham, as well as the timber scaffolding boards around it last August.

Despite seeing these items on CCTV, it was not possible to determine the exact cause of the blaze or whether it was started accidentally or deliberately, the report added.

The fire, which was tackled at its peak by 225 firefighters, left more than 80 people homeless.

'Running for their lives'

In December, the flats - called Spectrum House - were deemed unsafe by building owners and demolished.

Former resident Sarah Williams said people were "fixated" on how it started.

"It doesn't really matter how a fire started, it's how that building was in such a condition that it spread so quickly," she said.

"Fires start in blocks of flats all the time.

"If blocks of flats work properly, you don't have 80 people running for their lives in the middle of the night, and then the building being completely demolished while the building owner vanishes, the building managers vanish, and everybody who's made profit from us just vanishes into the ether," she added.

A separate investigation into possible fire safety breaches within the block is ongoing, and is a priority for LFB, the report said.

The freeholder of the block, Arinium Limited, as well as managing agents Block Management UK Ltd have been approached for comment, but have not responded to the BBC.

Block Management UK Ltd previously said it was employed by the freeholder only to look after the common areas, not individual flats.

Former resident Sarah Williams told the BBC the report was a "small and positive" step forward

Ms Williams told the BBC: "Nobody has any idea when their house is going to burn down, it can happen to anybody at any time.

"It's such a traumatic experience and it changes your life in so many ways," she said.

Regarding LFB's report, she said: "Every small step is always positive.

"We've got something, but it is a very, very, very small step."

Ms Williams added she understood the investigation into possible fire safety offences would take longer, and was not frustrated by the length of time it was taking.

"People have learned from Grenfell in terms of getting justice faster for residents, while at the same time making sure that that conviction will stand up.

"I would rather have a successful criminal conviction than an unsuccessful one, because they needed to speed it up," she said.

The LFB report notes that more than 80% of the fifth and sixth floors were destroyed during the fire

The LFB said it would not comment directly on the report summary, but said it would be discussing the full report with residents and those connected to the block in a meeting on Thursday evening.

The brigade added it would be able to comment further, following this meeting.