The fire broke out in an 86-story Torch tower on the northeast end of the populated district of Dubai. High winds whipped through the area and debris from the fire nearby streets after the fire appeared to be extinguished. The officials said there were no reports of deaths or injuries.
The cause of the fire was not immediately clear. Police blocked off areas around the Torch, which still had power. Lights were on in many of the apartments inside and fire trucks and police vehicles were on the scene. Residents of at least one neighboring tower were told to leave the building for the possible danger of fire that winds might brought, but they were later allowed back inside.
Two residents of the Torch said they were told the fire started around the 52nd floor. Flaming material falling from the fire set a lower part of the building on fire, they said. One of the residents Steve Short thought highly of the work of firefighters who arrived quickly. He said fire alarms warned residents of the blaze and building management sent workers knocking on doors to ensure residents got out.
Resident R.J. Morlock, of Houston, shot video on his phone that showed bright yellow flames reaching what appeared to be several stories on two separate parts of the building. He said residents were nervous coming out but fire crews were able to bring the situation under control. “I was really surprised they got it under control pretty quickly,” he said.
As daylight broke, residents waiting across the street were allowed back home. They were able to see damage of the blaze: more than two dozen stories from roughly the 50th floor to the top were black. Cleanup crews dressed in orange uniforms swept up pieces of broken glass and other debris covering the street outside the building. The Torch opened in 2011 and is one of the world’s tallest residential towers, according to developer Select Group.
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