Post incident analysis report: Lacrosse Docklands, 25 November 2014

Abstract

This Post Incident Analysis (PIA) provides a detailed account of the fire incident that occurred at the Lacrosse building on 25 November 2014. It includes information compiled by MFB Fire Safety Officers investigating the sequence of fire events, the suitability of building materials used in construction, performance of installed fire safety equipment, evacuation of the building and fire causation. The main observations are: • External wall cladding (Alucobest) rapid fire spread. • Use of combustible external wall cladding on Type A construction. • Building material design, selection and installation. • High occupancy rate. • Mass evacuation necessary due to fire development and spread. • Emergency Warning and Intercommunication System (EWIS) was compromised. • Sprinkler system operated well beyond its designed capability. • Sprinklers were not required on the balconies under the Building Codes of Australia (BCA).