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[Zanosuke]

From the pictures it looks pretty serious. Hopefully the firefighters gets it under control soon!

Pics and updates:
https://twitter.com/GulfBusiness

Swedish news site:
http://www.expressen.se/nyheter/en-av-varldens-hogsta-skyskrapor-i-brand/

http://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/article20351538.ab

In English:
http://gulfbusiness.com/2015/02/fire-rages-dubai-marina-residential-tower/

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-31562099

http://edition.cnn.com/2015/02/20/middleeast/dubai-tower-fire/index.html

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/w...ial-building-in-marina-district-10061013.html

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/fire-engulfs-dubai-marina-torch-skyscraper-article-1.2123528

Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFv95qLVT4c

Information about the building:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Marina_Torch

Source: https://twitter.com/Really_Rhea/status/568910467076214785/photo/1

Update:

"The fire was brought under control though it had spread to the non-sea side of The Marina Torch as well. At least 20-25 floors are gutted on the sea-side of the building. Only a few floors look completely gutted at the time. Fire-fighting activity raged on at the top most floors at the time of this update."

Source: http://gulfbusiness.com/2015/02/fire-rages-dubai-marina-residential-tower/

Update 2 (fire extinguished):

"The cordon in the area has been lifted and residents from The Torch and its lower floors, as well as surrounding buildings, are heading back to their building. A medical response team on site told this reported that no fatalities are being reported as of yet. However, some resident are being treated for anxiety and smoke inhalation related issues. According to residents of The Torch, the fire started around the 57th floor. The fire looked to have reached all the way to the 79th floor on the seaboard side."

Source: http://gulfbusiness.com/2015/02/fire-rages-dubai-marina-residential-tower/

 

[Divvy]

Talk about a self-fullfilling prophecy

 

[strafer]

Holy shit, at first I thought the name was some sick joke.

:/

Hope they all make it out.

 

[Nudull]

That is a very unfortunate name.

 

[Delta Assault]

Man's hubris never learns, does it?

 

[Jarrod38]

The Towering Inferno

 

[GraveHorizon]

Man's hubris never learns, does it?

I agree, they built too close to the sun.

 

[MercuryLS]

Holy shit, I was in Dubai a few weeks ago and stayed in The Torch. That's surreal.

 

[a Master Ninja]

Crazy. Looks like a scene from Spec Ops: The Line.

 

[Dishwalla]

I am used to The Torch being the name of a strip club.

 

[maquiladora]

Tallest residential building in the world.

 

[LabouredSubterfuge]

That's quite terrifying.

 

[bangbang i'm a timpani]

i cant even imagine how many migrant slaveworkers they've thrown into that building to fight this fire

 

[Terra]

ISIS?

 

[Brannon]

There's no way they can fight that. So the question is, how will it fall? When the heat warps the structure enough, will it fall in on itself, or tip over?

 

[alatif113]

ISIS?

Really? Should we start crying that every time something tragic happens?

 

[BlazingDarkness]

Looks like a big fire.

 

[maquiladora]

Not the best view but you can see the fire in the upper left on this webcam. Doesn't look too bad at the moment compared to those earlier pics but maybe the view is blocked by other buildings. Or maybe it's under control, hopefully.

http://www.skylinewebcams.com/en/webcam/united-arab-emirates/dubai/dubai/dubai-marina.html

 

[BraXzy]

Crap it looks bad. I hope people have evacuated alright :/

 

[TheExecutive]

Hope everyone got out alright but that name...

 

[DOBERMAN INC]

That looks horrible, I can't even think how they would approach putting that out.

I just hope everyone was evacuated.

 

[Any Questions]

Not good. I work for a construction firm in London building skyscrapers. Although not as tall we go up to 60 stories I can tell you that this building is good for scrap.

Hoping nobody is hurt.

 

[Rymuth]

Crazy. Looks like a scene from Spec Ops: The Line.

Funny you should mention that...

There's a sandstorm going on in the area?

 

[Saint Gregory]

Oh god, that really does look really serious. I hope that everyone was able to make it out of the building it time.

I watched construction of a lot of these skyscrapers on the Discovery Channel and they made it seem like they had very advanced fire dousing systems so I'm really surprised that a blaze was able to get that out of control in any of them.

Edit: OK, I don't know which one of you edited the Wiki page but that's highly inapropes.

Edit2: Good, they fixed it already.

 

[GK86]

That video is insane. I hope people make it out of there.

 

[s_mirage]

The fire seems to be under control but that looked nasty. Hopefully everyone got out ok.

 

[antonz]

This picture from about 45 minutes ago is crazy

 

[mreddie]

Holy shit, I hope people are ok.

 

[Gallbaro]

Source: https://twitter.com/Really_Rhea/status/568910467076214785/photo/1

Uh oh, looks like it is rising up in the gap between the curtain wall and deck. Looks like a contractor directed his slaves to use caulk instead of fire stopping and neglected to put in window sprinklers.

 

[Karl Hawk]

i cant even imagine how many migrant slaveworkers they've thrown into that building to fight this fire

... Are you fucking serious?

 

[dafinezt]

Holy shit. I stayed there during a trip to Dubai last year.

 

[speculawyer]

This picture from about 45 minutes ago is crazy

Woah. What do they have in there that is burning like that?

 

[devilhawk]

Woah. What do they have in there that is burning like that?

Really don't have a clue. Maybe something flammable that is in the same position on each floor? Not sure how it is jumping floors though.

 

[Gallbaro]

Really don't have a clue. Maybe something flammable that is in the same position on each floor? Not sure how it is jumping floors though.

Woah. What do they have in there that is burning like that?

Just going to quote myself.

Uh oh, looks like it is rising up in the gap between the curtain wall and deck. Looks like a contractor directed his slaves to use caulk instead of fire stopping and neglected to put in window sprinklers.

 

[Empty]

video is nightmarish. eugh.

 

[xbhaskarx]

This picture from about 45 minutes ago is crazy

Why wouldn't it have spread horizontally...

 

[Savitar]

They might not have a lot of water but they got plenty of poop to put it out with.

 

[freenudemacusers]

Uh oh, looks like it is rising up in the gap between the curtain wall and deck. Looks like a contractor directed his slaves to use caulk instead of fire stopping and neglected to put in window sprinklers.

can you explain what you mean by "curtain wall and deck"?

 

[EGOMON]

i cant even imagine how many migrant slaveworkers they've thrown into that building to fight this fire

WTF is this shit?!
Fire fighters are now slavewokers or just because this fire is happening in an Arab country! smh fucking ignorance

 

[sephi22]

They might not have a lot of water but they got plenty of poop to put it out with.

Wut?
Isn't Dubai surrounded by water?

 

[Kinyou]

A burning skyscraper is freaking terrifying. I wonder what the firefighters can do

 

[Spaced Harrier]

WTF is this shit?!
Fire fighters are now slavewokers or just because this fire is happening in an Arab country fucking ignorance

Dubai notoriously has a literal slave population of Bangladeshis building these vanity projects.
Corners are cut and they die in scores.

 

[Slayven]

A burning skyscraper is freaking terrifying. I wonder what the firefighters can do

that and fire at sea are the worse cause scenarios when it comes fire rescue.

 

[antonz]

Apparently a huge Sandstorm is coming through the city right now as well making fighting conditions even worse

 

[Spaced Harrier]

that and fire at sea are the worse cause scenarios when it comes fire rescue.

That gives me a movie idea.


The Towering Poseidon

 

[Slayven]

That gives me a movie idea.


The Towering Poseidon

That is actually a good idea.

 

[Stinkles]

can you explain what you mean by "curtain wall and deck"?

Structural floors and the walls that may or may not have structural function (mostly windows).

 

[Rogue_Ledr]

Man's hubris never learns, does it?

Hubris has nothing to do with this.

Its just an inevitability with buildings.

 

[Gallbaro]

can you explain what you mean by "curtain wall and deck"?

The exterior wall of any high rise is not actually connected to the floors of a building. As all buildings are designed to move, connecting the exterior with anything but limited bracing would cause mass amounts of glass to shatter. Depending on the height of the building there will literally be a 1" to 4" gap between the floor and the exterior wall which is then filled with a fire proof compound flexible compound which is suppose to last two hours when exposed to flame before failing.

Then cement that composes the floor obviously is fire proof so this fire is spreading up that gap.

A burning skyscraper is freaking terrifying. I wonder what the firefighters can do

If you really want to stoke your fears, consider that at these heights and from what I understand of Dubai fire code, the fire fighters which are in the building likely have no central command and control communications. (Two Way radios do not work very well in high-rises).

 

[Flintty]

Talk about a self-fullfilling prophecy

Nailed it. Irony at its finest.