Just happening now, horrible!!

That is really bad ! What building is that? I recognize the department store but not that building. Any word on the people inside?

Gracias pinofas !

MY GOD!! I JUST NOW happen to see a large, wide pipe of smoke AND what appeared to be fire on the Madrid Skyline Webcam @ http://www.avendano.org/webcam.html


On the above site, there you'll see some photos taken by Luis Avedano from the position of the webcam.



Another spectacular photo @ http://estaticos.elmundo.es/fotografia/2005/02/incendio_windsor/img/inc3.jpg

This is the office building engulfed in fire
" Edificio Windsor"

Noone has been killed and there have been 5 firemen injured (by smoke inhalation).

The building was empty because it is an office building. The nearby big stores (El Corte Inglés - Castellana) was closed (the fire started at 12 PM) and was also empty. Other nearby buildings have been emptied (most were office buildings).

Danger now is for emergency teams, and if the building collapse things can get pretty caotic (there are subway and railway lines, a tunnel, parkings and important buildings nearby).

I hope everything ends well!

Fernando

CHAT WITH US NOW about the fire (or anything else). SEVEN of us in there now.

(originally posted by desert dweller on 02-12-2005 11:43 PM)

Just now heard on the BBC about the fire in Madrid tonight. The photos on the photos section of MM web site are great. Some of you in Madrid fill us in as to what happened. The BBC did not mention any injuries or deaths, and it possibly started in an electrical box.
--------------------
Phantom Man

Here's what I know so far about the fire (some of you already know this from chatting):

The fire started somewhere between 11:30 and 12, Spanish time, on the 21st floor. They have been doing construction on the building for a year, and they suspect that the fire could be due to this, like an electrical fire or something. There is a crane on top of the building, 70 meters tall, which is melting/has melted. The 17th floor is built to be a fire preventative floor, and the firemen have re-inforced it with foam that prevents fires. However, the other fire prevention systems are not working in the building. As Fernando said, there are 5 firemen injured, but no one has died. They have evacuated everyone within a 1 mile radius of the building. There is an El Corte Inglés beside the building, as well as many shops, such as Zara, H&M, Starbucks, Mango, etc. (It is the Nuevos Ministerios district for anyone who doesn't know the area.) People are also asked to shut their windows and put wet towels in the cracks to prevent potentinally toxic smoke from coming into their homes. Firemen are also trying to prevent the fire from spreading by spraying water on the surrounding buildings. Let's all hope it doesn't get any more out of control!

Oh, there are also 3 metro lines closed, although I am not sure for how long or which ones exactly.