windows weren t, and there were people in there. you could see the silhouettes. and then the next thing, explosions. the london fire brigade desperately struggled to reach the upper floors, but were repelled by the heat and falling debris. this is a completely unprecedented fire. in my 29 years in the london fire brigade, i have never seen a fire of this nature and i have seen many high rise fires. residents are sheltering in nearby community centres, some are missing family members. the investigation begins into how the fire started, and how it was allowed to take hold with such devastating effect. around 70 people are being treated in six london hospitals, 20 people are in a critical condition. the fire is still burning firefighters say it will still be some hours before it s out. we ll be bringing you the latest, in this extended programme. stay with bbc news for all the developments from our correspondence. good evening from west london where a huge fire is still burn