IT'S OUR 9/11

Firefighter on health fallout of toxic blaze

- LUCY THORNTON & MATTHEW YOUNG

GRENFELL Tower firefighters were there for 10 hours and more, breathing in deadly fumes, their gear contaminated by toxic ash raining down on them.

They have told of bringing up blood with what became known as the "Grenfell cough" and of fearing they will not live to see their children grow up.

A fire service source has told the Mirror experts are drawing up a list up to a dozen cancer cases, the majority of which are understood to be digestive cancers, and leukaemia for which there is no cure.

But it is feared this could be the tip of the iceberg, and some cancers could take up to 25 years to appear.

Steven Burns, 51, who joined the fire service when he was 34, blames his work on his ongoing "torture" from bladder cancer, and now fears for his colleagues.

Steve, who wasn't at the London fire, said: "Grenfell was our September 11th.

"I was having chemo at the time and it was hideous to see on the news.

"I knew my cancer was linked to my job.

"Watching my colleagues commit to the fire, I knew there was going to be a cost."

The Grenfell fire on June 14, 2017, killed 72 residents, including six members of the Choucair family and five of the Hashim family, who lived on the 22nd floor. The youngest victim was six-month-old Leena Belkadi, who died in her mother's arms as she tried to flee. The oldest was Sheila Smith, 84, who had lived there for 34 years.