TMBA created these trial graphics based on the investigation report from the London Fire Brigade for the series "Extreme Evidence" (Court TV).
A fire erupts in the Kings Cross Underground Station in London, England, 31 people are killed and dozens are injured. Arson investigators were able to pinpoint the cause of the fire, but it would take state-of-the-art computer technology and experts in the field of fluid dynamics to analyze accident recreations and trial graphics to explain why it became a deadly inferno.
The fire started on an escalator between the Piccadilly Line platforms and the ticket hall at King's Cross St. Pancras tube station. The evidence of many eyewitnesses indicated that at the early stages, the fire in the escalator was obviously of manageable size: officers from the Fire Brigade and British Transport Police gave evidence that the fire appeared no larger than a large cardboard box burning. Those present were all taken by surprise when it suddenly changed into something that threw a sustained jet of flame into the ticket hall.
What seems clear is that in the early stages of the fire, the flames visible to anyone not standing on the burning escalator were a small part of the full story. The majority of the flames were lying down in the escalator trench; only a few protruded above the balustrade and were visible to observers. The lack of visible flames lulled the emergency services into a false sense of security. When the treads of the escalator flashed over, the size of the fire increased dramatically and set most of the ticket hall alight.
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