London council evacuates residents amid fire safety concerns

LONDON (AP) — One London community is evacuating some 800 households from five publicly owned apartment towers because of safety concerns after the devastating fire that killed 79 people in a west London high-rise last week.

The move comes as residents of thousands of tower blocks around Britain expressed concern about safety after commonly used building materials were blamed for rapidly spreading the blaze at Grenfell Tower.

Camden Council in north London, which announced the evacuation tonight, was the first local government to take the dramatic step of emptying its buildings so safety upgrades could be made.

Council leader Georgia Gould said the borough made the decision after the London Fire Brigade and council experts said they couldn't guarantee the safety of residents after inspecting the five towers. The inspectors were following up on previously unknown safety complaints from residents, she said.

"I've made the really, really difficult decision to move the people living there into temporary accommodation while we do the urgent works to guarantee safety," Gould told reporters outside the public housing complex. "I know it's difficult, but Grenfell changes everything."

Public safety concerns have been prompted by exterior cladding known as aluminum composite panels, which are believed to have rapidly spread the fire at Grenfell Tower on June 14, trapping residents in their homes before firefighters could save them.

Local councils around Britain are testing similar panels on hundreds of their buildings. Fourteen apartment blocks have so far tested positive for combustible materials.