Firefighters who saved lives during the Grenfell Tower disaster have been diagnosed with terminal cancer. An investigation has uncovered a secret tragedy from the 2017 fire in West London, which killed 72 residents.
The Mirror reports that up to a dozen firefighters who attended the scene have been diagnosed with cancer. Some are aged only in their 40s, and are suffering from rare cancers, which are linked to the high levels of unprecedented exposure to contaminants during the rescue effort.
The majority of the diagnoses are understood to be digestive cancers and leukaemia, for which there is no cure. However, it is feared this could be the tip of the iceberg, with some forms of the disease taking up to 25 years to appear.
A fire service source said: “We are expecting some really depressing data to be revealed soon. It’s shocking.”
The source revealed that a list of firefighters who attended Grenfell and have been now been diagnosed with cancer is being put together by experts. It is reported that they have already found around a dozen cases but that could end up being more than 20.
This is not the only investigation into the long term effects of the disaster on the health of emergency services staff that were in attendance. A 2019 study by the University of Central Lancashire found soil contamination caused by the fire could lead to an increased risk of cancer and respiratory problems of those living in the area.
Further analysis of soil, debris and char samples of insulation boards used on the tower revealed heightened concentrations of cancer-causing chemicals. It also showed there were proven carcinogens, including benzene, within 200m of the tower.
Riccardo la Torre, Fire Brigades Union national official, said: “When workers on the front line are tackling fires to save lives and property, like all those who attended Grenfell, they need every protection possible from toxic health risks. This vital research proves that firefighters are suffering and dying from cancer, strokes, heart disease, and mental ill health as a result of going to work and protecting the public.
“We now know that firefighters are exposed to health and life-threatening contaminants as a result of their occupation, and certainly would have been at an incident the size and scale of the Grenfell Tower Fire. However, firefighters are left in the dark due to the lack of regular health surveillance and proper monitoring of exposures in the UK.
“Due to this inaction by the government and fire bosses, the Fire Brigades Union is commissioning further research to help us demand proper protection and support for our members who attended Grenfell, and for firefighters all over the UK.”
Following recent reports and investigations into the disaster, firefighters from the day have come out to speak on their experiences. David Badillo was the first to enter Grenfell.
He said: “On a personal level it’s very worrying. I’ve got two young kids and I want to see them grow up.
“I’ve been scanned and nothing’s come up, thankfully, so far, but you don’t know what could happen in the future.”
Another firefighter, in his 50s, who did not wish to be named, says Grenfell left him suicidal. The unnamed source also revealed that he is now suffering from scarred lungs.
He said: "We were quite early on the scene and got held in this underground car park and we were breathing all the toxins for ages. One of the guys was coughing and spluttering even then.
“I’ve heard loads of guys and girls have been sick with the ‘Grenfell cough’ and I’ve never smoked a cigarette in my life.”
The firefighter confessed that he has failed several medicals since the blaze because of his lung function and now needs inhalers. He added: “Before Grenfell my health was great.
"I passed all the medicals and had no problems at all. It literally was within a month or so I started to get this cough and for me that’s when it started to go downhill.
“The cough continued and I went for a routine medical and they found my lung function had gone down and I was taken off duty and left in limbo.”
Barry Jackson, 50, a firefighter for 27 years who was at Grenfell, said: “I do know people with tremendous mental health problems.
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