The Address
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Global Nomad
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Orderly evacuation in 20 mins, only the exterior burning as the sprinklers took care of the inside, caused by a curtain on a balcony, fire is 90% under control.....CNN qoting government sources.
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: High in the Sky
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I was in the Souk at a friends apartment at the base of the Address, having drinks and looking forward to the celebrations. Suddenly another friend saw the fire and it was terrifying! The speed at which it raced up the building was astonishing.
We immediately evacuated and spent new year sitting on the grass across Emaar boulevard praying that everyone was able to evacuate which it presently appears thankfully, according to news reports, they have.
A memorable New Year for largely the wrong reasons but it's kind of when you are involved in an event where at one point you seem to be running for what could be your life you realize exactly what you priorities are. Must say that my new year resolutions have swiftly altered because of this event.
We immediately evacuated and spent new year sitting on the grass across Emaar boulevard praying that everyone was able to evacuate which it presently appears thankfully, according to news reports, they have.
A memorable New Year for largely the wrong reasons but it's kind of when you are involved in an event where at one point you seem to be running for what could be your life you realize exactly what you priorities are. Must say that my new year resolutions have swiftly altered because of this event.
Last edited by Voodoo 3; 1st Jan 2016 at 05:22.
fantom-voodoo -
Relax, It was reported that no one was killed or even injured at the time I posted.
If anyone was hurt, then I would remove the post.
Additionally, a burning building has absolutely zero aviation input relevant to PPRUNE.
Have a stressfree 2016 guys.
Relax, It was reported that no one was killed or even injured at the time I posted.
If anyone was hurt, then I would remove the post.
Additionally, a burning building has absolutely zero aviation input relevant to PPRUNE.
Have a stressfree 2016 guys.
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: UAE
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Sky News has an eyewitness report of an anything but organised evacuation with people climbing over each other to get out and overwhelemed hotel staff. I think I will take their reporting rather than local sources. Given the scale of damage visible this morning it is a bit surprising there weren't more serious injuries than have been officially reported.
Join Date: Nov 2009
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There was no fire...
The buildings in this country are built with the highest quality workmanship and the best safety equipment available.
The smoke (if any) was reported as coming from a taxi with a worn engine, the driver and the taxi were arrested and deported.
There was a second report of smoke that was traced to the rear tires of a vehicle with a 600hp engine and a 4 digit plate. This was investigated and the tires were arrested and deported.
Nothing to see here now move along.
The buildings in this country are built with the highest quality workmanship and the best safety equipment available.
The smoke (if any) was reported as coming from a taxi with a worn engine, the driver and the taxi were arrested and deported.
There was a second report of smoke that was traced to the rear tires of a vehicle with a 600hp engine and a 4 digit plate. This was investigated and the tires were arrested and deported.
Nothing to see here now move along.
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Dubai
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I read a report today that said the materials used on the outside of the building included thermoplastic polyurethane, other plastics and an aluminum composite, all of which will burn. Because they will burn so easily all these materials were banned for such use in 2013. This was after the height of the building boom here which means those materials were widely used in construction all over the city....so the same thing could happen again. He estimated these materials are on the outside of about 70% of skyscrapers in Dubai.
Since a lot of pilots and cabin crew live in these buildings I think you could make the case there's at least an indirect relevance to an aviation forum.
No cause identified yet (or at least not admitted to in public).
Since a lot of pilots and cabin crew live in these buildings I think you could make the case there's at least an indirect relevance to an aviation forum.
No cause identified yet (or at least not admitted to in public).
Join Date: Mar 2015
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The used materials and the typically used fire countermeasures are a longer known problem.
Seeing that it burned bottom-up, outside-only and very dark, cloudy fumes indicates the type of the fire pretty much.
Second half of this german report (likely that german construction/delivery has been user) shows a burn test which escalates quickly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekD7vq18suA
RT reports that the building saw some reignition.
Seeing that it burned bottom-up, outside-only and very dark, cloudy fumes indicates the type of the fire pretty much.
Second half of this german report (likely that german construction/delivery has been user) shows a burn test which escalates quickly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekD7vq18suA
RT reports that the building saw some reignition.
I saw the humour mutts
I started the Burj thread because it had nothing to with aviation, as this one has nothing to with aviation. The Burj one got shut down (tho I thought it was highly entertaining),
yet this one is continuing. Shame shame mods.
Expat Brat
Well al of of pilots and cabin crew drive on the roads, best we start a thread on car accidents.
In fact I think I shall.
yet this one is continuing. Shame shame mods.
Expat Brat
Since a lot of pilots and cabin crew live in these buildings I think you could make the case there's at least an indirect relevance to an aviation forum.
In fact I think I shall.
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For those with short memories, almost the exact same fires occurred on:
28th Apr 2012 - Al Tayer Tower (near Al Nahda Park) / Sharjah
See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzA3RzJ6wyM
17th Nov 2012 - Tamweel Tower (JLT) / Dubai.
See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-L3TUzZU7Ys
21st Feb 2015 - The Marina Torch / Dubai
See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmrVe3CwYVw
There may well be others that I've missed?
Many (most) high-rise buildings in the UAE use external cladding panels with thermoplastic cores, i.e. panels that consist of plastic / polyurethane fillings sandwiched between aluminium sheets. Such cladding is not necessarily hazardous, but it can be flammable under certain circumstances; and (depending on a skyscraper's design) those panels may channel fire through the window frames and thence into the interior of a building.
In 2013 the UAE revised its building safety regulations, requiring that cladding on all new buildings (those over 15 meters / 50 feet tall) be fire-resistant. However, those regulations do not apply retrospectively, i.e. they do not apply to buildings erected prior to 2013, and therein the vast majority of the UAE’s skyscrapers fall outside of those 'new' regulations. E.g. The Address Downtown was completed in 2008 and thus did not have to comply with the 2013 building regulations.
Ah well, they do say that art mimics life, wherein it looks like they got it right in 1974 film: The Towering Inferno... and, until they fix and / or replace such flammable external cladding, there will be more to follow!
28th Apr 2012 - Al Tayer Tower (near Al Nahda Park) / Sharjah
See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzA3RzJ6wyM
17th Nov 2012 - Tamweel Tower (JLT) / Dubai.
See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-L3TUzZU7Ys
21st Feb 2015 - The Marina Torch / Dubai
See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmrVe3CwYVw
There may well be others that I've missed?
Many (most) high-rise buildings in the UAE use external cladding panels with thermoplastic cores, i.e. panels that consist of plastic / polyurethane fillings sandwiched between aluminium sheets. Such cladding is not necessarily hazardous, but it can be flammable under certain circumstances; and (depending on a skyscraper's design) those panels may channel fire through the window frames and thence into the interior of a building.
In 2013 the UAE revised its building safety regulations, requiring that cladding on all new buildings (those over 15 meters / 50 feet tall) be fire-resistant. However, those regulations do not apply retrospectively, i.e. they do not apply to buildings erected prior to 2013, and therein the vast majority of the UAE’s skyscrapers fall outside of those 'new' regulations. E.g. The Address Downtown was completed in 2008 and thus did not have to comply with the 2013 building regulations.
Ah well, they do say that art mimics life, wherein it looks like they got it right in 1974 film: The Towering Inferno... and, until they fix and / or replace such flammable external cladding, there will be more to follow!
