Researchers from the Edinburgh Fire Research Centre (EFRC) were instrumental in the Grenfell Inquiry, and continue to advise the construction industry on fire safety in buildings.
Early in the morning of 14 June 2017, an electrical
fault in a refrigerator set fire to the corner of a fourth-floor kitchen
in Grenfell Tower, London. By the time firefighters arrived, the fire
had started to spread up the combustible cladding that covered the
outside of the building, quickly engulfing it. Tragically, 72 people
died.
That same morning, having seen it on the news, Professor Luke Bisby, Chair of Fire and Structures at the Edinburgh Fire Research Centre (EFRC), made contact with the UK Government and offered his expertise. Two days later, he was in London, meeting to discuss the fire and whether other tall buildings could have combustible cladding - an issue he substantially underestimated at the time.
The EFRC explores how materials react to fire and heat and how this influences fire dynamics and consequently building safety, informing future construction techniques and materials as well as providing vital evidence in fire investigations. Professor Bisby worked as a technical expert witness in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry for over seven years, reporting with his team and other researchers at the EFRC on the factors that led to the Grenfell Tower disaster and repeatedly giving evidence. In September 2024, the final Grenfell Tower Inquiry report was published, highlighting decades of government and industry failings. The Inquiry also revealed a widespread building safety crisis affecting thousands of tall buildings across the UK, with remediations to replace cladding and update fire safety provisions estimated to cost up to £22bn.
A notable report that Professor Bisby authored for the Inquiry concluded that "widespread incompetence and poor regulatory oversight of built environment professions (and professionals), significantly contributed to the disastrous fire safety outcomes at Grenfell Tower." Fire safety engineers are not a regulated profession in the UK, and the Inquiry recommended that this should be both a legally protected title and function to ensure buildings are safe. Professor Bisby now sits on three separate UK Government advisory panels, consulting on how to implement the Inquiry recommendations.
During the Grenfell Inquiry, Edinburgh Innovations (EI) helped with contracts, invoicing, indemnity and legal advice. According to Professor Bisby, "It's important to have a supportive and competent organisation behind you when you're doing what is very stressful and consequential work".
Researchers at the EFRC were involved in further expert witness
consultancy, such as in a class action lawsuit related to combustible
cladding. Additionally, the EFRC advises the construction industry on
fire safety, particularly during R&D of new materials, consulting on
the fire performance of their products and what changes can be made to
improve safety. The EFRC also carries out training, such as Continuing
Professional Development courses for fire safety engineers.
On 24 February 2026, in recognition of the achievements and contributions of the EFRC over the past 50 years, the University of Edinburgh was awarded The Queen Elizabeth Prize for Higher and Further Education. One of the highest awards an educational institution can receive, the Prize rewards ‘excellence, innovation and well-evidenced benefit’ not only for the institution, but for the wider world.
Professor Bisby said:
I want to thank the Royal Anniversary Trust for recognising our Centre in awarding the University a Queen Elizabeth Prize for Education. For more than five decades, our Centre has been at the forefront of developing and applying new knowledge in fire science and engineering – to transform engineering practice, shape building regulations, and ensure greater protection for the public. We are deeply honoured to be associated with this prize, in recognition of the innumerable contributions of our colleagues, students, alumni, and partners over so many years, and as we continue to pioneer new developments in fire safety engineering education and research to address the many fire safety challenges of the modern world."
Edinburgh Fire Research Centre (EFRC)
Expert witnesses: Luke Bisby on The Grenfell Tower Inquiry Podcast, BBC (2018).
